Tampa Bay (19-19) at Detroit (19-21)
When: Friday, May 20th 2016
Where: Comerica Park, Detroit, MI
Time: 7:10 ET | TV: FSN Sun, FSN Detroit
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A couple of hot offenses meet on Friday night as the Tampa Bay Rays and Detroit Tigers begin a three-game weekend set at Comerica Park. The Rays are coming off an impressive sweep in Toronto in which they set franchise-records with 44 hits, 20 extra base hits, and 31 runs scored. Tampa took over the major league lead in homeruns (58) in Wednesday’s 6-3 victory. Logan Morrison went 6-for-10 in the series with his first homer and first three RBIs of the season for the Rays. Desmond Jennings’ bat has woken up in the last two games while going 4-for-9 with two home runs and four RBIs to raise his average to .188. The Rays are 4.5 games behind the Orioles in the A.L. East standings. The Tigers are also swinging hot bats led by second baseman Ian Kinsler who has homered in four-straight games. Detroit has won four in a row overall – scoring 29 runs in that stretch. J.D. Martinez (9-for-16, three homers in his last four contests) and Miguel Cabrera (8-for-19, two homers in last five) are also swinging hot bats.
Pitchers: Rays – Matt Andriese (2-0, 0.56 ERA) | Tigers – Anibal Sanchez (3-4, 5.91)
Tampa Bay didn’t need a fifth starter until the beginning of May and now they have found a perfect guy in Matt Andriese. The second-year reliever has started two games this season and has allowed just one run in 16 innings. He’s coming off a complete game shutout of Oakland last Saturday. Andriese allowed one run in two outings (one inning) against Detroit last season.
Anibal Sanchez is going in the opposite direction and needs a good outing badly. Sanchez is winless in his last three starts, allowing four runs in each appearance and three homers combined to suffer two losses and a no-decision. Sanchez has struggled with control while walking 24 in 42.2 innings overall with 39 strikeouts and eight homers allowed. He is 2-3 with a 5.08 ERA in seven career starts versus Tampa Bay.
All the numbers point to the Rays in this one tonight. Sanchez has been terrible and he’s facing an extremely hot-hitting team. I’ll take the Rays tonight.
Pick: Rays -105
