The 2015 MLB All-Star Game is just around the corner, but not before we close the first half of the baseball season with an intriguing three-game series between two clubs that are in recent slumps.
AL West division leaders the Houston Astros are in a three-game losing streak, while the Tampa Bay Rays of the AL East are in a four-game skid of their own. Who will be the first team to break its recent slide? Read on as we preview another thrilling American League showdown.
Don’t forget to check out our coverage of the upcoming All-Star Game found in the link at the beginning of this article, and our preview for the Home Run Derby as well.
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Houston Astros vs. Tampa Bay Rays
Where: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg
When: Friday, June 10, 2015
Line: Houston Astros (+105) vs. Tampa Bay Rays (-115); total: 7.0– view all MLB lines
Betting on the Houston Astros
It seems as if the Astros’ go-for-broke style of offense has finally caught up to them. While the Astros still lead the majors with 122 home runs, they’re hitting just a mere .242 as a team. Things got even worse during their recent three-game skid, as they only managed to score three runs and hit just .170.
[sc:MLB240banner ]Looking to boost Houston’s run production will be a highly-motivated Preston Tucker. The breakthrough rookie is a Tampa native looking to put on a show in front of friends and family. Tucker went 8-for-16 in the last series against the Cleveland Indians, and is hitting .259 with 44 hits and 21 RBIs in 51 games for the season.
And of course, 2015 All-Star selection Jose Altuve will be in the mix for the Astros offense to try and get his hitting groove back before the All-Star break. Altuve, the Astros leader in batting average and hits, has gone just 4-for-16 in the four-game series against Cleveland with two runs and one run batted-in.
If Houston’s bats won’t come to life in this first game of the series against Tampa, then starter Collin McHugh (9-4, 4.54 ERA) can turn the match into a pitcher’s duel instead. McHugh has been efficient in containing Tampa Bay’s better hitters during his career. Evan Longoria is hitless in six career at-bats with four strikeouts against McHugh, along with John Jaso and Brandon Guyer both having gone 0-for-3 against the righty.
If you thought the Astros were bad at playing small-ball, well the Tampa Bay Rays are just bad at hitting right now, period. They have a batting average of just .241 — second-worst in the entire league.
The Rays are seeing some life from Evan Longoria, though. The Tampa Bay third-baseman is on an eight-game hitting streak, hitting .343 during that span. But Longoria needs someone else to help him on offense, and that could be centerfielder Kevin Kiermaier.
Kiermaier is on a five-game hitting streak of his own, going 6-of-19 with three runs and two triples in that stretch. However, both he and Longoria have got to get past their struggles against Houston’s McHugh. Kiermaier himself is just 1-for-6 in his career facing the Astros starter with four strikeouts.
But just like the Astros, Tampa Bay’s starter for the series opener in Erasmo Ramirez (7-3, 3.80 ERA) can shut down Houston’s sputtering offense just the same. Ramirez has been pitching really well as of late, going 5-1 with an ERA of 1.18 over his last seven starts. He’ll have to be on the lookout for Evan Gattis, though, as the Astros designated hitter is 2-for-2 with a homer and three RBIs lifetime against the righty from Nicaragua.
