Jake Odorizzi (3-2, 2.21 ERA) takes the mound for the Tampa Bay Rays (16-14) as they meet Ross Detwiler (0-3, 6.57 ERA) and the Texas Rangers (12-17) in the third of a four-game series at Tropicana Field. The Rays won the last game 8-2 and the series is currently tied 1-1. The game gets underway at 6:10 p.m. ET on Saturday, May. 9 and will air on FSN-SW and SunSports.
Odorizzi is 2-0 with a 1.38 ERA against the Rangers in his career, and is up against a less-than-stellar Texas offense that’s hitting just .223 on the year. Evan Longoria (.293, 18 Rs, 3 HRs, 9 RBIs) played well again yesterday, going 2 for 4 with two runs and one RBI. In his pitching opportunities against the Rays, Detwiler is 0-0 with a 3.72 ERA. He gets a struggling Tampa Bay offense that’s batting just .235. Prince Fielder (.339, 11 Rs, 2 HRs, 14 RBIs) went 1 for 4 yesterday.
Tampa Bay, a -161 favorite, will look to capitalize at home against Texas. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is seven runs. The Rays are 5-6 as the favorite and have an overall money line of +137. They have a winless record (0-2) in games played as the favorite during their last 10 games. The Rays will be looking to pick it up in this one after recent offensive struggles. In the last 10 games, Tampa Bay has only averaged 2.4 runs per game compared to the 3.6 they’ve averaged on the season. Transitioning to the pitching staff, the Rays rank fourth in the AL in ERA with a 3.47 team average. The Rays don’t allow many hitters to get on base, ranking third in the league with a 1.12 WHIP. The have been extremely effective at striking opposing batters out, averaging 8.4 strikeouts per game.
Moving on to the away team, the Rangers come into this game with a win percentage of .440 when playing as the underdog (11-14) and an overall money line of -8.
The Rays will take on a left-hander (Detwiler) in this game and have a 3-4 record against left-handed starting pitchers this season. The right-handed Odorizzi will take the mound against the Rangers, who have an 8-9 record against righty starters this season.
Predictions: SU Winner – TB, O/U – Over
Notes
When leading after 7 innings, Tampa Bay is 5-5, while Texas is 5-11.
The Rays are coming off of a hot pitching game where they recorded 12 strikeouts. The Rangers have a record of 1-4 when they are struck out that many times or more.
When they are outhit, the Rays are 1-9. The Rangers have a 3-13 record when opponents outhit them.
Texas ranks in the bottom half of the league at 18th when it comes to home runs, hitting 23 this season. Tampa Bay ranks in the top half at 12th with 26.
Tampa Bay and Texas both rank in the top half of the league in hits. Tampa Bay sits at 13th with 7.79 hits per game and Texas ranks 14th with 7.64.
Tampa Bay and Texas both rank near the bottom of the league for their on-base plus slugging percentage. Tampa Bay sits at 22nd with an OPS of .687 and Texas ranks 24th with an OPS of .657.
When the Rangers allow at least one home run, they are 6-13. When the Rays allow one or more homers, they have a 7-8 record.
