The Major League Baseball season features a number of oddities, one of them being that only one American League team has a record better than 17-14 or, for that matter, three games over .500. Another more specific quirk of the season to date is that no team in the American League East has a record that’s better than two games over .500. Someone’s looking to bust loose. Will either Baltimore or Tampa Bay be able to get on a hot streak this week inside Tropicana Field’s domed environment?
Series Preview: Baltimore Orioles @ Tampa Bay Rays
Game 1: Tuesday, May 6
MLB Odds: Rays -145
7:10 PM ET
The Orioles will put Chris Tillman on the hill in this contest, while Tampa Bay will counter with Chris Archer. It’s true that Archer gave a lot of valuable starts in the middle of the summer last season, helping Tampa Bay to get to a one-game playoff with Texas and then the official one-game wild card playoff with Cleveland, en route to the American League Division Series against the Boston Red Sox. Archer has a lot of natural talent. However, his ERA to this point in the season is over a run more than Tillman’s mark, 4.84 to 3.68 for Tillman. Archer is still groping for a better rhythm right now, and because he lacks it, one should choose Baltimore in the opener of this three-game series.
Pick: Baltimore
Game 2: Wednesday, May 7
7:05 PM ET
This is the most obscure pitching matchup of the series. Bud Norris, who toiled in the relative obscurity of Houston for a number of seasons, while oppose Tampa Bay’s new addition, Cesar Ramos. Norris has a credible 3.94 ERA, but Ramos has been much better than expected to this point in 2014, posting a 2.91 ERA. Norris could very realistically outduel Ramos, but after five weeks of baseball this season, which pitcher would you be inclined to take? Ramos should be the correct answer here, and that being the case, the Rays are more likely to win this game. If you do think that the Orioles are going to get game one of this series on Tuesday, the laws of averages should lead you to the conclusion that Tampa Bay will get one game back on Wednesday. These teams have been fairly consistent in their lack of consistency this season. The American League East is a division in which every team is hovering close to break-even, so if Baltimore wins game one, Tampa Bay should take game two.
Pick: Tampa Bay
Game 3: Thursday, May 8
7:10 PM ET
This is the game that should not keep a bettor up late at night. Baltimore is going with Ubaldo Jimenez, a former ace in Major League Baseball, but an ace who starred in the National League and at a hitter’s park, Coors Field in Denver for the Colorado Rockies. Jimenez is not the same pitcher these days, and his 5.19 ERA proves as much. Jimenez will be opposed by Tampa Bay ace David Price, who is an annual Cy Young Award contender. Price should have the ability to outpitch Jimenez by a wide margin, not merely a small one. This should steer the Rays to victory in this A.L. East showdown in the Sunshine State.
Pick: Tampa Bay
