Nathan Karns (1-1, 4.97 ERA) and the Tampa Bay Rays (6-4) meet Adam Warren (0-1, 1.69 ERA) and the New York Yankees (3-6) in the first of a three-game division series at Tropicana Field. The game starts at 7:10 p.m. ET on Friday, Apr. 17 and will air on YES and SunSports.
In his most recent outing, Karns pitched 7.0 innings, allowing one, striking out six and walking two in an 8-5 victory over the Marlins. Kevin Kiermaier (.344, 8 Rs, 2 HRs, 4 RBIs) kept up his strong start yesterday, going 2 for 4 with two runs. In his pitching opportunities against the Rays, Warren is 0-1 with a 3.06 ERA, 12 strikeouts and seven walks. Alex Rodriguez (.286 ) has been doing well to start the season, going 2 for 3 Wednesday with one run, one home run, and one RBI.
Tampa Bay is a small -115 favorite in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is seven runs. When playing as the favorite, the Rays have a 1-1 record and overall money line at +150. The Rays rank fourth in the majors in extra base hits with 33. They have been a terror on the base paths, ranking third in all of baseball with 11 steals. Turning to the pitching staff, they have been extremely effective at striking opposing batters out at Tropicana Field, leading the AL with 9.7 strikeouts per home game.
Switching gears, the Yankees come into this game with a win percentage of .250 when playing as the underdog (1-3) and an overall money line of -353. Against teams in their division, they are 3-6 SU and have played poorly as the underdog with a 1-3 record. New York is one of the top home-run-hitting teams in the league with 13 home runs. The New York pitching staff has been an intimidating group this year, averaging 9.6 strikeouts per game.
The Rays will take on a right-hander (Warren) in this game and have a 4-2 record against right-handed starting pitchers this season. Taking the hill against the Yankees will be the right-hander Karns. They sport a 2-4 record against righties.
Predictions: SU Winner – TB, O/U – Over
Notes
When they lead after 7 innings, both Tampa Bay and New York have a 1-3 record.
The Rays managed to give up four walks in their last game. They’ll have to pick it up against the Yankees who are coming in with a 2-3 record against opponents who give up that many walks or more.
When they are outhit, the Yankees are 1-6. The Rays have a 1-3 record when opponents outhit them.
Ranking ninth in home runs, Tampa Bay has hit 10 this season. New York ranks third with 13 home runs.
Tampa Bay and New York both rank in the top 10 of the league in hits. Tampa Bay sits at eighth with 7.67 hits per game and New York ranks sixth with 8.11.
Tampa Bay and New York both rank in the top 10 of the league for their on-base plus slugging percentage. Tampa Bay sits at eighth with an OPS of .734 and New York ranks 10th with an OPS of .707.
The Yankees are 2-5 in games where they allow one or more home runs. The Rays are 1-3 when they allow at least one homer.
