Rays at Dodgers Series Starts Tonight in Los Angeles
Evan Longoria and the Rays are looking to gain ground.
With the Tampa Bay Rays and Los Angeles Dodgers both sizzling hot the entire month of July, baseball fans had this weekend circled on the calendar. The two teams were to meet in what appeared like it may be a World Series preview. It still may be one, but not that August is here, the Atlanta Braves and Kansas City Royals look to be almost as likely to meet in the Fall Classic. The Dodgers are still red-hot, winning eight of their last ten and coming off taking three of four against the St. Louis Cardinals. But the Rays have cooled off a bit in August thus far, mostly due to injuries to key players such as Matt Moore, Desmond Jennings and Chris Archer.
If the Rays do get to the World Series, one team they do not want to see is the Arizona Diamondbacks. The D-backs have been the one team that has handled Tampa Bay since the middle of June. Arizona has beaten them three of the four games including twice this week. The Wednesday games was an especially tough loss for the Rays who rallied from three runs down in the seventh to take a one-run lead only to watch their normally stellar bullpen blow the lead in the eighth. Tampa Bay can continue to be Arizona’s best friend if they can regain their form this weekend.
The Diamondbacks are 5.5 games behind in the N. L. West, so they sure could use some help. They got very little from the Cardinals. With the New York Mets coming in this weekend, the Rays could help tighten the West race back up a bit. David Price will go tonight in L. A. against Chris Capuano. Price has been very sharp since his return from the disabled list. Two runs is the most he has allowed in any one game and he has gone nine innings in nearly all of them. Capuano hasn’t allowed a run in three of his last four starts either.
Patrick Corbin goes for the D-Backs tonight with a 12-3 record against Jeremy Hefner for the Mets. Advantage Arizona. Interestingly though, the Mets are only one game out of second place in the N. L. East. That shows how weak that division is as they are eight games below .500 at 52-60. If they could only beat the Miami Marlins, they would have second place in their back pockets. They are the one team Miami beats up as they are 10-5 against New York.
No one else from the N. L. West is in playoff contention any longer. The San Diego Padres are 12 games out. The Colorado Rockies are 13 back and on a five game losing streak and the defending World Series champion San Francisco Giants are also 13 back. The do have an important series this weekend though as they take on the Baltimore Orioles. The O’s are still in contention in the A.L. East as they trail the Rays by 3.5 and the Boston Red Sox by 5.5. And then there is the battle to see which Black and Orange team is the better one as well.
JustBet has the odds on tonight’s games:
Tampa Bay at L. A. Dodgers– The Rays are -1.5 +135 and the Dodgers are +1.5 -155 ATS. Moneyline has Tampa Bay -130 and the Dodgers +110. Over/Under is 6.5 with over -120 and under EVEN. We like the Under EVEN and Tampa Bay -130.
New York Mets at Arizona– Mets are +1.5 -135 and the D-Backs are -1.5 +115 ATS. Moneyline is N. Y +172 and Arizona -192. O/U is 8 with over -105 and under -115. Take the D-Backs -1.5 and the over -115 on this one.
Baltimore at San Francisco– The O’s are -1.5 +125 and the Giants are +1.5 -145 ATS. Moneyline is O’s -138 and Giants +118. Over/Under is 7.5 with both -110. Take the Orioles -138 and the over -110.
