Thank God it’s Friday and thank God for great baseball action. Sports fans are in for a treat tonight 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 much-anticipated American League East showdown between the New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays.
Then, the Pittsburgh Pirates square off with the Cleveland Indians in a fascinating interleague matchup. Read on below for a quick breakdown of these two pivotal games and while you’re at it, you can check out our other preview of the MLB game between the Houston Astros and the Boston Red Sox.
[sc:MLBArticles ]Tampa Bay Rays vs. New York Yankees (7:05 PM ET)
Line: Tampa Bay Rays (+112) at New York Yankees (-122); total: 7.0 – view all MLB lines
The New York Yankees finally snapped their three-game losing skid with a 3-1 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday. Nathan Eovaldi pitched scoreless, five-hit ball for 5.1 innings for the Yankees who had lost seven of their last 10 games prior to the victory. The Yankees will look to make it back-to-back wins when they take on the struggling Tampa Bay Rays in the opening game of their three-game set tonight.
[sc:MLB240banner ]Starting for New York tonight is Masahiro Tanaka (4-3, 3.88 ERA). He struggled in his last start for the Yankees, allowing six runs on seven hits in just five innings of action in the Yankees’ 9-6 win over the Houston Astros. The Yankees have won six of their last eight games with Tanaka as their starter.
The Rays, on the other hand, will counter with right-hander Chris Archer (9-5, 2.31 ERA). He suffered his fifth defeat of the season in his last start, allowing five runs on five hits in Tampa Bay’s 5-3 loss to the Boston Red Sox. The Rays will still fancy their chances of grabbing the victory tonight as they have won eight of their last 10 games with Archer on the mound.
Writer’s Prediction
New York wins, 6-3.
Cleveland Indians vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (7:05 PM ET)
Line: Cleveland Indians (+127) at Pittsburgh Pirates (-137); total: 7.5 – view all MLB lines
The Pittsburgh Pirates stretched their unbeaten run to three games with an impressive 8-4 win over the Detroit Tigers on Thursday. They will look to extend their winning streak tonight when they square off with the Cleveland Indians in their series opener. Starting for the Pirates this evening is Charlie Morton (6-1, 4.28 ERA). The right-hander has hurled 12 scoreless innings in back-to-back wins in interleague play as he faces Cleveland for the very first time.
The Indians, on the other hand, will have Trevor Bauer (6-5, 3.96 ERA) on the mound tonight. Cleveland has lost four of its last six games with Bauer as its starter. He has struggled in his last two starts, surrendering a combined 11 runs in 10 innings of work.
Writer’s Prediction
Pittsburgh wins, 5-1. Create a betting account now and bet on the best games for tonight.
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