Matt Moore (0-0, 0.00 ERA) and the Tampa Bay Rays (42-38) meet Corey Kluber (3-9, 3.66 ERA) and the Cleveland Indians (36-41) in the last of a four-game series at Tropicana Field. The Indians won the last game 8-1 and Cleveland can finish out the series sweep with a win in this game. The game starts at 12:10 p.m. ET on Thursday, Jul. 2 and will air on STO and SunSports.
This is the first time Moore will take the hill this season. He pitched 10.0 innings last season, finishing 0-2 with a 2.70 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, and six strikeoutsJoey Butler (.316, 20 Rs, 6 HRs, 21 RBIs, 5 SBs) went 1 for 3 yesterday with one RBI. In his pitching opportunities against the Rays, Kluber is 2-1 with a 2.28 ERA, 29 strikeouts and seven walks. Jason Kipnis (.346, 53 Rs, 6 HRs, 34 RBIs, 10 SBs) has been hitting the ball well for the Indians, going 2 for 5 yesterday with one run and one RBI.
Tampa Bay is a +115 underdog in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is six runs. The Rays are 21-18 as the underdog and have an overall money line of +392. Tampa Bay has averaged 2.6 runs per game over the last 10 games, lower than its season average of 3.6. They have been a terror on the base paths, ranking fifth in all of baseball with 57 steals. Transitioning to the pitching staff, the Rays lead the AL in ERA with a 3.35 team average. The Rays don’t allow many hitters to get on base, ranking fifth in the league with a 1.20 WHIP.
Switching to the opposing bench, the Indians come into this game with a win percentage of .460 when playing as the favorite (23-27) and an overall money line of -1,506. The Indians average 3.6 walks per game, making them the most disciplined team in the AL. The Indians are a problem for opposing batters, sporting a 3.47 ERA on the road this season. They also average just 7.3 hits allowed per road game, second-best in the AL. The Cleveland pitching staff has been an intimidating group this year, averaging an AL-best 9.2 strikeouts per game.
The Indians have mostly come out on top against the Rays in their previous six games this season, earning a 4-2 record. This game will feature Kluber (RHP) on the mound against the Rays, who have a 27-29 record when they take on a right-handed starter. Taking the hill against the Indians will be the left-hander Moore. They sport an 11-18 record against southpaws.
Predictions: SU Winner – CLE, O/U – Over
Notes
Having scored one run in their last game, the Rays are going to have to up their game if they want to win this matchup. The Indians have a 13-0 record in games where opponents scored that many runs or fewer.
It looks like the Indians have a slight leg up on the Rays, as the Indians have won their last three games while the Rays have lost their last four.
When they outhit their opponents, the Rays are 29-9. The Indians have a 29-6 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 26th, Tampa Bay is near the bottom of the league in runs, scoring 287 this season. Cleveland ranks in the bottom half at 18th with 312.
Ranking 19th, Tampa Bay is in the bottom half of the league in walks, notching 214 this season. Cleveland ranks in the top five at second with 277.
The Rays are 30-18 when they hit at least one home run. The Indians perform similarly when they hit one or more homers with a 28-17 record.
