The Tampa Bay Rays (+150) are on the road to face the Cleveland Guardians (-180) at Progressive Field on Thursday with the three-game series in the balance. The early total has been set at 7 runs (O: -110 | U: -110). The Guardians (87-68) leveled the series 1-1 after winning 2-1 in 10 innings on Wednesday, their third head-to-head victory in five games this season. Reliever James Karinchak was credited with the win after throwing one scoreless inning. Gabriel Arias went 1 for 3 with a solo home run in the win. Amed Rosario added one RBI on one hit. Ji-Man Choi was 2 for 3 with a double and one run for the Rays (85-70).
ON THE MOUND
Jeffrey Springs (9-4, 2.56 ERA) is in line to get the start for Tampa Bay. The southpaw allowed four runs (three earned) over five innings in his last start, a 10-6 road win over the Blue Jays on Friday. He gave up six hits while striking out six and walking one in the no-decision. Springs has made one previous start against the Guardians this season, a 4-1 home loss on July 29. He surrendered three runs on six hits over five innings, striking out five and walking one. For Cleveland, RHP Cal Quantrill (14-5, 3.49 ERA) takes the mound. It’s his first appearance of the season against the Rays. Quantrill made one start against the Rays in 2021, throwing six innings in a 5-4 home defeat on July 22. He gave up four hits and walked three, while striking out two in the no-decision. In his last start on Saturday, Quantrill got the win on the road against the Rangers. He threw six innings and gave up one run on five hits, striking out four and walking three in the 4-2 triumph. The righty is tied for fourth in the AL in wins.
AT THE PLATE
Over the last five games, Tampa Bay has averaged 3.8 runs a game, a small drop compared to their season average of 4.2. Against righties like Quantrill this season, the Rays have a .684 OPS. Yandy Diaz is the team’s strongest hitter against right-handers with a .805 OPS in 342 at-bats. Cleveland is averaging 5.4 runs per game in the last five, up from 4.3 for the season. The Guardians have a .650 OPS against southpaws in 2022, fourth lowest in the league. With a .884 OPS over 106 at-bats, Andres Gimenez has been their best hitter against left-handers.
HOME AND AWAY
Tampa Bay is 34-40 in road games in 2022, scoring 4.2 runs per game while allowing 4.2 runs. Cleveland has gone 41-33 in front of their home fans this season, averaging 4.0 runs per game while surrendering 4.0. Tampa Bay is 7-3 in the last 10 meetings at Progressive Field with an average scoreline of 5.2-3.1.
STANDINGS UPDATE
The Rays are third in the AL East, 11 games behind the division-leading Yankees. They currently occupy one of the Wild Card spots, sitting second with a magic number of eight. The Guardians lead the AL Central by 11 games over the White Sox.
SportsTips’ MLB Pick:
Cleveland Guardians (-110)
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
