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Are the Orioles a safe bet against the Rays?

Can Tampa Bay Beat Baltimore in the MLB Odds on Tuesday?

Written by on April 24, 2017

MLB Betting News
It’s Game 2 of an AL East series on Tuesday as the Tampa Bay Rays visit Camden Yards, a place they have struggled at the past few seasons, and they entered this series with just one road win on the season. The Orioles continue to lead the division and have been excellent at home in 2017. They will be MLB betting favorites here. Let’s take a look at the game preview.

Tampa Bay at Baltimore MLB Betting Analysis & Pick

When: Tuesday, April 25, 7:05 PM ET Where: Camden Yards, Baltimore Probable pitchers (away/home): Erasmo Ramirez/Wade Miley TV: MLB Extra Innings Stream: MLB.tv Radio: Tampa Bay / Baltimore Opening MLB Lines: Orioles favored by TBA

Why Bet On Tampa Bay?

The Rays are short a reliever as Tommy Hunter was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a right calf strain. Hunter suffered the injury while covering first base on Saturday. It’s unclear how long he’ll be sidelined. To take his spot, the Rays recalled RHP Chih-Wei Hu from Triple-A Durham. Acquired from the Twins in 2015 in the Kevin Jepsen trade, Hu has posted a 3.94 ERA in the early going at Durham this season. One of the best hitters in the AL in the early going has been Rays outfielder Steven Souza. He hit his fourth home run of the season Sunday in the Rays’ loss to the Astros. Souza is off to a blistering start this season, now with a .347/.424/.613 batting line and 17 RBI in 20 games. Guy could always hit, he just has trouble staying healthy. It’s right-hander Erasmo Ramirez (2-0, 3.07) on the mound; he’s in the rotation for an injured Jake Odorizzi. Ramirez exceeded expectations in the Rays’ 8-1 victory against the Tigers last week at Tropicana Field in his first start of the season, needing only 66 pitches (47 for strikes) to get through five innings of two-hit ball. “How fortunate for us to have that kind of coverage when a guy like Jake goes down,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “His versatility is huge and helps us so much. You could probably make a case that Erasmo on a lot of clubs being a starting pitcher.” Even with Odorizzi (hamstring) nearing a return from the disabled list, Ramirez will get another start in the rotation. Ramirez will likely return to his role as a long reliever upon Odorizzi’s return, however.

Why Bet On Baltimore?

What’s going on with Mark Trumbo? He led the majors in homers last year but finished 0-for- 4 with a strikeout Sunday in the Orioles’ loss to the Red Sox. Trumbo is batting just .227/.271/.318 in 17 games this season for Baltimore. His one home run this year was back on Opening Day against the Blue Jays. Second baseman Jonathan Schoop is having some defensive problems. Saturday’s game against the Boston Red Sox was only the latest example; he was wrong-footed on a ball that ultimately went for a single. Last year, according to FanGraphs, Schoop fielded 79 percent (289 of 366) of balls in his zone, with 68 plays made out of zone. That ranked eighth and 11th among the 21 qualifying second basemen, respectively. This year, Schoop has converted 63.3 percent of the balls in his zone (19 of 30) into outs, which is 26th of 28 qualifiers. He also has minus-4 defensive runs saved through 16 games. It hasn’t affected his offense. He’s batting .291 with four homers and 10 RBIs, both second best on the team, and an .897 OPS. The Orioles go with lefty Wade Miley (1-0, 1.89). Last time out, he took a no-decision vs. the Reds despite pitching terrific. Miley allowed two hits in eight innings, including Joey Votto’s homer in the fourth. Miley matched his career high by fanning 11 for the third time, taking advantage of the Reds’ aggressive swings. The lefty’s outing was the longest by a Baltimore starter this year.

Tampa Bay at Baltimore MLB Betting Pick: Baltimore Orioles

Miley was 1-0 with a 3.60 ERA in two starts last year vs. Tampa Bay.
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