Tampa Bay Rays vs. St. Louis Cardinals Preview
Where: Busch Stadium – St. Louis, MO
When: Friday, August 25, 2017, 8:15 PM ET
Line: Tampa Bay Rays (+143) at St. Louis Cardinals (-158); total: 9.0 – view all MLB lines
TV Broadcast: SUN, FSMW
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Betting on the Tampa Bay Rays (63-66)
The Tampa Bay Rays returned to winning ways Thursday with a thrilling 2-0 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays. Alex Cobb and four relievers combined on a six-hitter to lift the Rays to their third win in their last four games. The Rays will look to carry the momentum of that huge victory when they lock horns with the St. Louis Cardinals in their series opener Friday night.
Starting for the Rays in the opening game of this three-game set is Jake Odorizzi. He struggled mightily in his last start against Seattle, surrendering seven runs on eight hits and five walks in just 3.2 innings of action. The right-hander has now lost all three of his starts since returning from the 10-day DL. That’s Odorizzi’s longest losing streak since May 15-25, 2015. In his last 12 starts, Odorizzi has compiled a 3-5 record with an abysmal 6.03 ERA.
Given Odorizzi’s erratic form, the Rays offense will need to stand tall against the Cards tonight. One guy who’s swinging the bat well for Tampa Bay is Kevin Kiermaier. The two-time Gold Glove winner is 10-of-21 in his last five games with three homers and six RBIs. Kiermaier played a crucial part in the Rays’ victory on Thursday with the center fielder nabbing a pair of stunning reversals in the fifth inning. He made an all-out sprint to catch Steve Pearce’s drive with two runners on base before making a diving grab on Justin Smoak’s shallow fly with the bases loaded and two outs.
Betting on the St. Louis Cardinals (64-63)
Pitching for the Cards in this critical contest is Michael Wacha. Just like Odorizzi, Wacha has been struggling for form at the moment. He has lost each of his last two starts, allowing a combined nine runs and 15 hits to the Pittsburgh Pirates and Atlanta Braves. The 26-year-old has now conceded at least four earned runs in three of his last six starts to raise his ERA from 3.71 to 4.08. Wacha will look to turn things around against a Rays side that’s 23rd this season in runs scored.
As for the offense, the Cardinals are feeding off a hot Yadier Molina right now. The veteran catcher is batting .417 (10-of-24) in his last six games with a homer and three RBIs. He’s hitless, though, in three career at-bats against Odorizzi. One guy who has had some success against the Tampa Bay starter is Matt Carpenter. He is 2-of-6 in his career against Odorizzi with a homer and an RBI.
Writer’s Prediction
The Cards (-158) edge past the Rays, 6-5.
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