We went 2-1 again on Thursday, which finally puts us at an even 6-6 record for the week. That’s not good enough to put our investments in the positive though. However, we have the opportunity to do just that tonight with Tampa Bay (82-52) and Cleveland (64-70). Hitting a trifecta on this game would put us in a really good spot but even if we pull off two of the three we’re in the positive.
The Pitchers
Tampa’s Tyler Glasnow (7-4, 3.12 ERA) definitely has the advantage on the mound in this one. He’s picked up four wins in his last five starts and has allowed an average of just 1.6 earned runs per outing over that stretch. He was roughed up a little by the Angels on August 19th but bounced back to blank the Yankees in his last start on August 26th.
Cleveland is throwing Cal Quantrill (2-6, 6.45 ERA) against the Rays. He’s making a return from the 15-day DL and has had a rough overall season. Quantrill hasn’t thrown in the majors since July 5 and hasn’t picked up a win since May 7th. In his last five appearances, he allowed an average of 5.6 earned runs per game.
The Lineups
Tampa is powered by Isaac Paredes who leads the team in both homeruns (27) and RBIs (84). Yandy Diaz has a team best .327 batting average. Over the last five games the Rays have scored 26 runs.
Cleveland is led by Jose Ramirez, who has blasted 21 home runs and has a team-leading .277 batting average. Josh Naylor has knocked in 79 RBI for the Guardians. Cleveland has scored 28 runs over the last five games.
The Streaks
Tampa Bay comes into this series having won four games in a row. Cleveland has won two in a row and three of its last five.
The Odds
Rays -1.5
Rays -180 on the moneyline
O/U 8
I like Tampa Bay across the board here, and the reason why is the pitching advantage. Cleveland has been hitting the ball well recently but I’m taking the Rays to cover the -1.5 and then the over.
Follow us on Twitter: @SportsHeartland