Tampa Bay (54-52) at Houston (68-36)
When: Monday, July 31st 2017
Where: Minute Maid Park, Houston, TX
Time: 8:10 ET | TV: FSN Sun, Sportsnet-Southwest
Opening Odds: Houston -156/9
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A pair of teams looking to break out of slumps will start a four-game series on Monday night as the Houston Astros host the Tampa Bay Rays at Minute Maid Park. The AL-leading Astros (68-36) has seen their pitching staff get rocked in losing three of their past four games including a 13-1 setback to the Detroit Tigers on Sunday. The staff has allowed 32 runs in the past four games which could prompt them to grabbing another starting pitcher before Monday’s trade deadline. Lance McCullers Jr. gave up five runs on Sunday and the bullpen was lit up for eight more over three innings as Houston was shut out until Alex Bregman bashed a solo homer in the ninth. Charlie Morton will look to right the ship for a Houston team that leads the AL West by a whopping 16 games. Jose Altuve has hit safely in 20 of his last 21 games for the Astros, batting .500 during that stretch. The Houston offense will take their hacks against one of the hottest pitchers around in Alex Cobb. The Rays salvaged the finale of their four-game road series against the New York Yankees with a 5-3 victory on Sunday and the newly acquired Lucas Duda has fit in nicely. Duda has a hit in each of his first three games with his new team, going 3-for-7 with two home runs. The Rays have won just three of their last 11 games and trail the first-place Yankees by 3.5 games in the AL East while sitting 2.5 behind Kansas City for the second wild card spot. Tampa Bay 1B Logan Morrison (heel) did not start the team’s last three games but could be back in the lineup Monday.
Pitchers: Rays – Alex Cobb (9-6, 3.46 ERA) | Astros – Charlie Morton (8-4, 3.83)
Cobb has logged 30.1 innings over his last four starts, going 3-0 and allowing a total of just five runs and 17 hits. He does have issues with the longball, allowing six of them over his last five outings and 16 in 21 overall starts this season. In 138 innings, Cobb has issued just 34 walks. Brian McCann is 8-for-15 with a pair of homers versus Cobb, who lost to the Astros after allowing four runs over six innings on April 21st. Overall, Cobb is 1-1 with a 3.65 ERA in two career outings against Houston.
Morton has found his home with the Astros as the 33-year-old veteran is having his finest season to date. He shut down the Philadelphia Phillies last time out, allowing just three hits and one walk over seven scoreless innings. Morton has completed six innings in just half of his 14 starts but has recorded 92 strikeouts over 82.1 innings, including 24 in his last three outings. Corey Dickerson is 5-for-12 with a homer against Morton, who gave up five runs over five innings in a loss at Tampa Bay back on April 22nd.
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Both pitchers are worthy of a play here, but one of these struggling offenses is going to break-out in this one. Houston has scored just 10 runs in the last four games, but they are still No. 1 in the majors in batting average, runs, OPS, and home runs. I think they get the better of Cobb tonight.
Pick: Astros -155
W/L TRENDS
| Tampa Bay |
- Rays are 5-1 in their last 6 when their opponent scores 2 runs or less in their previous game.
- Rays are 3-8 in their last 11 overall.
- Rays are 7-19 in their last 26 Monday games.
- Rays are 1-4 in their last 5 road games.
- Rays are 1-4 in their last 5 after scoring 5 runs or more in their previous game.
- Rays are 1-4 in their last 5 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
- Rays are 1-4 in their last 5 games on grass.
- Rays are 1-5 in their last 6 when their opponent allows 5 runs or more in their previous game.
- Rays are 1-6 in their last 7 games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Rays are 0-4 in their last 4 vs. American League West.
- Rays are 5-1 in Cobb’s last 6 starts with 4 days of rest.
- Rays are 4-1 in Cobb’s last 5 starts vs. a team with a winning record.
- Rays are 5-2 in Cobb’s last 7 starts.
- Rays are 2-5 in Cobb’s last 7 starts vs. American League West.
- Rays are 3-11 in Cobb’s last 14 starts when their opponent scores 2 runs or less in their previous game.
- Rays are 0-4 in Cobb’s last 4 Monday starts.
|
| Houston |
- Astros are 8-2 in their last 10 home games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Astros are 4-1 in their last 5 home games vs. a team with a winning record.
- Astros are 4-1 in their last 5 during game 1 of a series.
- Astros are 4-1 in their last 5 vs. a team with a winning record.
- Astros are 8-2 in their last 10 Monday games.
- Astros are 53-22 in their last 75 games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Astros are 41-18 in their last 59 after allowing 5 runs or more in their previous game.
- Astros are 20-9 in their last 29 vs. American League East.
- Astros are 11-5 in their last 16 when their opponent scores 5 runs or more in their previous game.
- Astros are 35-16 in their last 51 after scoring 2 runs or less in their previous game.
- Astros are 37-17 in their last 54 games following a loss.
- Astros are 60-29 in their last 89 games on grass.
- Astros are 2-8 in their last 10 home games following a road trip of 7 or more days.
- Astros are 4-0 in Morton’s last 4 starts when their opponent scores 5 runs or more in their previous game.
- Astros are 4-0 in Morton’s last 4 starts after allowing 5 runs or more in their previous game.
- Astros are 4-1 in Morton’s last 5 starts during game 1 of a series.
- Astros are 7-3 in Morton’s last 10 starts.
- Astros are 7-3 in Morton’s last 10 starts on grass.
|
OU TRENDS
| Tampa Bay |
- Under is 6-1 in Rays last 7 when their opponent allows 5 runs or more in their previous game.
- Under is 5-1 in Rays last 6 after scoring 5 runs or more in their previous game.
- Under is 5-1 in Rays last 6 during game 1 of a series.
- Under is 12-3-2 in Rays last 17 road games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Under is 3-1-1 in Rays last 5 overall.
- Under is 6-2-2 in Rays last 10 road games.
- Under is 6-2-2 in Rays last 10 on grass.
- Under is 6-2-1 in Rays last 9 vs. American League West.
- Under is 15-5-1 in Rays last 21 games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Under is 6-2-2 in Rays last 10 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
- Under is 5-2-2 in Rays last 9 when their opponent scores 2 runs or less in their previous game.
- Under is 10-4-1 in Rays last 15 vs. a team with a winning record.
- Over is 24-11-7 in Rays last 42 Monday games.
- Over is 33-16-2 in Rays last 51 games following a win.
- Under is 4-0 in Cobb’s last 4 starts when their opponent allows 5 runs or more in their previous game.
- Under is 4-0-1 in Cobb’s last 5 starts following a Quality Start in his last appearance.
- Under is 3-0-1 in Cobb’s last 4 starts on grass.
- Under is 3-0-1 in Cobb’s last 4 road starts.
- Under is 3-0-1 in Cobb’s last 4 starts when their opponent scores 2 runs or less in their previous game.
- Under is 5-0-1 in Cobb’s last 6 starts overall.
- Under is 4-0 in Cobb’s last 4 starts after scoring 5 runs or more in their previous game.
- Over is 9-0 in Cobb’s last 9 road starts vs. a team with a winning record.
- Over is 11-2 in Cobb’s last 13 starts vs. a team with a winning record.
- Over is 6-2 in Cobb’s last 8 Monday starts.
- Over is 7-3 in Cobb’s last 10 starts with 4 days of rest.
- Over is 7-3 in Cobb’s last 10 starts during game 1 of a series.
|
| Houston |
- Over is 3-0-1 in Astros last 4 home games following a road trip of 7 or more days.
- Over is 4-0 in Astros last 4 games following a loss.
- Over is 7-1 in Astros last 8 games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Over is 4-1 in Astros last 5 when their opponent scores 5 runs or more in their previous game.
- Under is 4-1 in Astros last 5 home games.
- Over is 4-1 in Astros last 5 after allowing 5 runs or more in their previous game.
- Over is 12-3-2 in Astros last 17 during game 1 of a series.
- Over is 7-2 in Astros last 9 on grass.
- Over is 23-7-1 in Astros last 31 vs. American League East.
- Over is 19-7-1 in Astros last 27 overall.
- Under is 18-7-1 in Astros last 26 Monday games.
- Over is 5-2 in Astros last 7 home games vs. a team with a winning record.
- Over is 7-3 in Astros last 10 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.
- Over is 20-9-2 in Astros last 31 after scoring 2 runs or less in their previous game.
- Over is 3-0-1 in Morton’s last 4 starts during game 1 of a series.
- Over is 4-0 in Morton’s last 4 starts when their opponent scores 5 runs or more in their previous game.
- Over is 4-1-2 in Morton’s last 7 home starts.
- Over is 7-2-2 in Morton’s last 11 starts overall.
- Over is 5-2-2 in Morton’s last 9 starts on grass.
|
HEAD TO HEAD
- Over is 6-0 in the last 6 meetings.
- Rays are 24-11 in the last 35 meetings.
- Rays are 13-6 in the last 19 meetings in Houston.
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