Tuesday MLB Betting Preview – Tigers at Rays
Detroit fell victim to the Tampa Bay Rays first-ever no-hitter, as the team has dropped 10 of 13 games to fall three games behind the Chicago White Sox in the AL Central race. It was the first time that the Tigers had been held hitless in a game since 1990. The club has managed to score 2.8 runs per game since the All-Star break. “Garza just threw, for the most part, high fastball after high fastball all night long,” said Tigers manager Jim Leyland. The Tigers are 10-5 against the AL East division this season and have won eight of their last 12 meetings against the Tampa Bay Rays. Detroit hasn’t picked up a victory away from Comerica Park since June 28 and has a 16-30 overall record on the road.
Tigers starting pitcher Justin Verlander is 12-5 with a 3.76 ERA in 20 starts this season, with the club picking up victories in four of his last five starts. In those outings, he has allowed 12 runs and 35 hits in 33.1 innings over that span. He tallied a 5-2 home victory in his last start against the Blue Jays, giving up two runs and eight hits over eight frames. The All-Star right-hander is 5-3 with a 4.99 ERA in 10 road starts, compiling 59 strikeouts and issuing 26 walks in 61.1 innings. In six career starts versus the Rays, Verlander is a perfect 4-0 with a 3.55 ERA, including a 2-0 mark and 2.77 ERA in two outings at Tropicana Field.
Tampa Bay started its current series in style, picking up a 5-0 victory and Garza completing a franchise first. “We needed one. I don’t care who it came from. We just needed one for our own confidence,” the right-handed starter said. The Rays will now concentrate on playing their second game of a season-long 11-game, 11-day homestand. The club is 27-20 at home in 2010 and own the third-best home record in the majors the last three years. Tampa Bay has produced a dominating 17-8 record against the AL Central, the team’s best mark versus any division in the Junior Circuit. The Rays have been red-hot since June 30, notching a 16-6 record, after going 12-20 over a 32-game stretch from May 24-June 29.
Rays starting pitcher James Shields is 8-9 with a 4.90 ERA in 21 appearances (20 starts) this season, but picked up a 5-4 road victory in his last outing. In that start against the Orioles, he allowed four runs on eight hits in 6.1 innings of work. Tampa Bay hasn’t won back-to-back starts with him on the mound since May 15-20. The right-hander is 1-5 with a 5.59 ERA in nine home starts, surrendering 12 home runs in 56.1 frames. In six career starts against the Tigers, Shields stands at a perfect 3-0 with a 3.93 ERA.
Bettors must respect the Tigers being 5-1 in games following a shutout this season (+420) and 15-9 over the last three years (+460). Tampa Bay has excelled in this spot during the 2010 season, posting a perfect 6-0 record (+600).
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