Tampa Bay (70-61) at Atlanta (73-57)
When: Tuesday, August 28th 2018
Where: SunTrust Park,
Cumberland, Georgia
Time: 7:35 ET | TV: FS Sun, FS Southeast
Opening Odds: Atlanta -127/8.5
The NL East-leading Atlanta Braves look to keep their stellar pitching going when they host the suddenly red-hot Tampa Bay Rays for the first of a two-game interleague series on Tuesday night. Tampa is on a season-high eight-game winning streak after sweeping the majors best Boston Red Sox over the weekend, capped off with a 9-1 victory Sunday. Designated hitter Ji-Man Choi has a hit in 12 of his past 13 games while batting .348 with a 1.064 OPS in that span to help Tampa Bay win 13 of 17 overall. Despite being nine games over .500 for the first time in three years, the Rays are still 8.5 games out of a wild card spot in the American League. After the Philadelphia Phillies loss to the Nationals on Monday, the Braves lead in the NL East is now 3.5 games, as they finally got a day off. Atlanta wrapped up a 5-2 road trip by beating Miami 4-0 on Sunday, but his just .200 as a team during the trip to Pittsburgh and Miami. It was Atlanta’s pitching that carried them, with a team ERA of 0.89 while allowing six runs in seven games. Outfielder Ronald Acuna, Jr. is hitting .343 with a .737 slugging percentage and 10 homers in 26 games during August and could be the runaway winner of the NL Rookie of the Year. Atlanta swept a two-game series at Tampa Bay on May 8-9, getting a homer from Acuna in the first game and a three-run shot from Nick Markakis in the finale.
Pitchers: Rays – Ryne Stanek (2-3, 2.53 ERA) | Braves – Julio Teheran (9-7, 4.09)
Ryne Stanek will start and get his customary one or two innings of work before giving way to the rest of the bullpen. Stanek makes his 22nd start of the season and while throwing just 31.2 innings in his first 21 starts. He’s done the job Tampa Bay has asked by holding opponents to a .168 batting average while posting a 2.84 ERA in those outings. He is coming off a scoreless inning of relief Saturday against Boston.
Julio Teheran is coming off a victory over Pittsburgh on Wednesday, allowing one run on two hits with five strikeouts over seven innings. Teheran has a stellar 1.80 ERA over his last three starts, including a 0.60 WHIP, but has two no-decisions in that span. He beat the Rays in Tampa on May 9th, allowing four hits with no walks and seven strikeouts in six scoreless innings.
Tampa Bay is hot, but Teheran is pitching great lately and will cool off the Rays bats. Look for Atlanta’s bats to heat back up now that they are back home at SunTrust Park.
Pick: Braves -127
BETTING TRENDS:
- Rays are 7-0 in their last 7 games following a win.
- Rays are 8-0 in their last 8 overall.
- Rays are 4-0 in their last 4 when their opponent allows 2 runs or less in their previous game.
- Rays are 4-0 in their last 4 after allowing 2 runs or less in their previous game.
- Rays are 8-2 in their last 10 Tuesday games.
- Rays are 19-7 in their last 26 vs. a team with a winning record.
- Rays are 7-3 in their last 10 during game 1 of a series.
- Rays are 35-16 in their last 51 after scoring 5 runs or more in their previous game.
- Rays are 10-23 in their last 33 games on grass.
- Rays are 6-14 in their last 20 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
- Rays are 5-13 in their last 18 road games vs. a team with a winning record.
- Rays are 3-8 in their last 11 games following an off day.
- Rays are 2-7 in their last 9 interleague games vs. a team with a winning record.
- Braves are 7-0 in their last 7 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.
- Braves are 4-1 in their last 5 when their opponent allows 2 runs or less in their previous game.
- Braves are 4-1 in their last 5 during game 1 of a series.
- Braves are 4-1 in their last 5 Tuesday games.
- Braves are 7-2 in their last 9 games following a win.
- Braves are 5-2 in their last 7 overall.
- Braves are 5-2 in their last 7 games on grass.
- Braves are 10-25 in their last 35 interleague games vs. a team with a winning record.
- Braves are 2-5 in their last 7 games following an off day.
- Braves are 5-15 in their last 20 interleague home games vs. a team with a winning record.
- Braves are 8-24 in their last 32 interleague home games.
- Braves are 1-4 in their last 5 vs. a team with a winning record.
- Braves are 0-4 in their last 4 home games.
- Braves are 0-4 in their last 4 home games vs. a team with a winning record.
- Under is 8-1 in Rays last 9 road games.
- Under is 6-1-1 in Rays last 8 after scoring 5 runs or more in their previous game.
- Under is 5-1 in Rays last 6 on grass.
- Under is 20-5-1 in Rays last 26 road games vs. a team with a winning record.
- Under is 7-2 in Rays last 9 games following an off day.
- Under is 18-6 in Rays last 24 Tuesday games.
- Over is 3-1-1 in Rays last 5 games following a win.
- Over is 3-1-1 in Rays last 5 overall.
- Under is 19-7 in Rays last 26 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
- Under is 21-8-1 in Rays last 30 after allowing 2 runs or less in their previous game.
- Under is 5-2 in Rays last 7 interleague road games vs. a team with a winning record.
- Under is 5-2 in Rays last 7 during game 1 of a series.
- Under is 35-15-4 in Rays last 54 vs. a team with a winning record.
- Under is 16-7 in Rays last 23 when their opponent allows 2 runs or less in their previous game.
- Under is 13-6 in Rays last 19 interleague games vs. a team with a winning record.
- Under is 6-0 in Braves last 6 games following a win.
- Under is 6-0 in Braves last 6 after allowing 2 runs or less in their previous game.
- Under is 4-0 in Braves last 4 when their opponent allows 2 runs or less in their previous game.
- Under is 11-1 in Braves last 12 on grass.
- Under is 11-1 in Braves last 12 overall.
- Under is 8-1 in Braves last 9 when their opponent scores 5 runs or more in their previous game.
- Over is 5-1-1 in Braves last 7 interleague home games vs. a team with a winning record.
- Over is 4-1 in Braves last 5 games following an off day.
- Under is 4-1 in Braves last 5 home games.
- Under is 4-1 in Braves last 5 vs. a team with a winning record.
- Over is 12-3-1 in Braves last 16 interleague home games.
- Over is 9-3 in Braves last 12 interleague games.
- Over is 9-3 in Braves last 12 vs. American League East.
- Under is 19-7 in Braves last 26 home games vs. a team with a winning record.
- Over is 9-4 in Braves last 13 Tuesday games.
- Under is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings.
