Friday night viewing has never been this good as the MLB has served up a pair of blockbuster games that will definitely be worth all your attention. Kicking things off tonight is the mouth-watering clash between AL East rivals Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees.
Following shortly thereafter is the pivotal National League showdown between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Read on below for a quick breakdown of these two critical games and while you’re at it, you can check out our piece on the best available players this coming MLB trade deadline.
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New York Yankees vs. Tampa Bay Rays (7:10 PM ET)
Line: New York Yankees (+108) at Tampa Bay Rays (-118); total: 8.0 – view all MLB lines
The Tampa Bay Rays finally snapped their four-game losing streak with a gritty 3-1 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday. Matt Moore was phenomenal for the Rays, allowing just one run on four hits in 6.2 innings of action. It was a historic result for the Rays who recorded their first-ever win at Dodger Stadium.The Rays will look to sustain the momentum of that huge win when they take on the surging New York Yankees in the opening game of their three-game set tonight. Starting for Tampa Bay this evening is Jake Odorizzi (4-5, 4.10 ERA). He was superb in his last outing, throwing eight innings of shutout ball in Tampa Bay’s 1-0 loss to Oakland on July 22. That no-decision was Odorizzi’s 12th this season, the highest in the majors this campaign.
The Yankees, on the other hand, will have right-hander Ivan Nova (7-5, 4.65 ERA) as their starter tonight. He has been solid in his last two starts, allowing just two earned runs over 13.0 innings pitched. One thing that’s quite worrisome about Nova is his alarming home run rate. He owns a horrendous 1.7 HR/9 this season.
The Yankees are 3-2 in their last five road games against the Rays.
Writer’s Prediction
New York (+108) wins, 6-2.
Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (10:10 PM ET)
Line: Arizona Diamondbacks (+170) at Los Angeles Dodgers (-200); total: 7.5 – view all MLB lines
Pitching for the Dodgers in this National League matchup is Kenta Maeda (9-7, 3.25 ERA). He was solid in his last start, surrendering just two runs on five hits in 5.2 innings of action in LA’s 7-2 rout of the St.Louis Cardinals. It was a huge bounce-back performance by Maeda who had allowed five runs in his previous outing against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Speaking of the D-Backs, they will have Zack Godley as their starting pitcher tonight. The right-hander picked up the win in his last start against the Cincinnati Reds, despite allowing five runs on 10 hits over 5.2 innings. He owns a 5.88 ERA to go along with a 1.62 WHIP in 2016. The D-Backs have won three of their last four games with Godley on the mound.
The Dodgers are 7-3 in their last 10 home games against the D-Backs.
Writer’s Prediction
The Dodgers (-200) crush the D-Backs, 8-2.
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