Shane McClanahan, one of this season’s toughest pitchers, leads the way for the Tampa Bay Rays (+165) as they host the Houston Astros (-195) at Tropicana Field on Tuesday. Don’t be surprised to see a pitchers’ duel with the early total at 6.5 with the over a -115 favorite. The Astros (97-51) took Monday’s series opener 4-0. Starter Luis Garcia threw five scoreless innings to get the win. Jose Altuve was 2 for 4 with a home run and two runs in the win. Harold Ramirez went 3 for 4 with two doubles for the Rays (82-65).
ON THE MOUND
Cristian Javier (9-9, 2.87 ERA) is in line to get the start for Houston. The right-hander threw six scoreless innings in his last start, a 2-1 road win over the Tigers on Wednesday. He got the win, scattering two hits while striking out eight. Javier is making his first appearance against the Rays this season. Javier made one start against the Rays in 2021, a 5-4 road loss on May 2. He surrendered three runs on four hits over five innings, striking out four and walking two. Left-hander McClanahan (12-5, 2.13 ERA) is on the mound for Tampa Bay. It’s his first appearance of the season against the Astros. In his last start on Thursday, McClanahan got the win on the road against the Blue Jays. He threw five scoreless innings and gave up three hits, striking out five and walking one in the 11-0 victory. The left-hander ranks second in the AL in ERA and fifth in strikeouts (187).
AT THE PLATE
Over the last five games, Houston has averaged 6.0 runs a game, up from their season average of 4.6, while slashing better across the board (.282/.326/.535). Against southpaws like McClanahan this season, the ‘Stros have a .769 OPS. Altuve is the team’s most potent producer against left-handers with a 1.036 OPS in 135 at-bats. Tampa Bay is averaging 4.8 runs per game in the last five, up slightly from 4.2 for the season. The Rays have a .688 OPS against righties in 2022. With a .805 OPS over 342 at-bats, Yandy Diaz has been their best hitter against right-handers.
HOME AND AWAY
Houston is on a five-game winning streak in road games, bringing their record to 47-28 in 2022. The ‘Stros have scored 4.6 runs per game away from home, while allowing 3.2 runs. Tampa Bay has gone 49-26 at home this season, averaging 4.2 runs per game while surrendering 3.3. Tampa Bay is 6-4 in the last 10 meetings at Tropicana Field with an average scoreline of 3.3-3.3.
STANDINGS UPDATE
The Astros lead the AL West by 15 games over the Mariners. Their magic number to clinch the division is one. The Rays are third in the AL East, six games behind the Yankees. They currently occupy one of the Wild Card spots, sitting second.
SportsTips’ MLB Pick:
Tampa Bay Rays (-140)
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
