Rays Turn to Price to Stop Losing Streak
The Tampa Bay Rays look to get back into the win column and stop a five-game losing skid Monday evening when they send David Price to the mound in Detroit.
The Tampa Bay Rays will try to break out of their recent tailspin when their road trip continues in Detroit against the Tigers to start the week. With two-fifths of their rotation being looked at by doctors, the Rays will turn to their ace David Price (14-7, 2.82) to stop the bleeding. He'll be opposed by Detroit's Armando Galarraga (8-5, 4.32).
MLB oddsmakers like Price's chances in Monday's 7:05 p.m. start at Comerica Park. Early betting lines made the Rays 145-150 favorites, setting the total at 8½ runs.
Tampa Bay's weekend north of the border was a complete disaster as the Rays were swept by the Blue Jays. Sunday's loss marked the fifth consecutive defeat for Joe Maddon's men, and came within an out of being the third time the Rays were no-hit this season.
Toronto's Brandon Morrow saw his no-hit bid busted up by an Evan Longoria single off Aaron Hill's glove with two outs in the ninth. Morrow stayed in and completed the 1-0 win as a 125 favorite by striking out his 17th batter to end it. The 'under' brought the Rays to a level 3-3 in the totals column over their last six.
Like the Rays, Detroit also entered action Sunday with a four-game losing skid. Unlike Tampa Bay, Detroit snapped its streak with a 9-4 rout of the Angels. The Tigers were minus 130 favorites in avoiding a Halos sweep, and will also enter this series with a recent 3-3 stretch at the totals window.
The Tigers were in Tampa two weeks ago and dropped all four to the Rays. Detroit was the underdog in all four games, ranging from +135 to +220 on the baseball betting board. Three of the four contests stayed below the total.
The Rays last visited Motown in late August 2009 with the two teams splitting the four-game series. Price hurled one of Tampa's wins in that set, working into the eighth and allowing just a run in the Rays' 3-1 triumph as 135 chalk. That's his only start at Comerica, though he does have a couple of scoreless relief outings on this mound back in 2008.
The left-hander out of Vanderbilt also chalked up one of the wins over the Tigers at home two weeks ago. Price was pronounced chalk (-230) on July 29 when he worked 6 1/3 innings and was charged with both Detroit runs in the 4-2 victory.
He's coming off just his second no-decision of the MLB season, a 2-1 Rays loss to the Twins last Wednesday at home. Price and the Rays carried a minus 180 line into that game and he left after seven with a one-zip deficit. Tampa Bay tied the game in the ninth before Minnesota won it in the 13th.
Detroit has dropped three of Galarraga's four starts since he was recalled from the minors on July 20. The most recent was last Wednesday at Comerica when the ChiSox took a 4-1 win as 110 underdogs. Galarraga allowed all four Chicago runs in 7 2/3 innings, with three of the runs coming plateward via Paul Konerko's two blasts.
This will be his fourth career start versus Tampa Bay, with the Tigers 2-1 in the previous three. The irony there is Detroit has won the two games Galarraga pitched poorly (10 IP combined, 11 ER) and lost the game he hurled seven innings of one-run ball.
Wade Davis (11-10, 4.45) is scheduled to go in Game 2 on Tuesday for the Rays, but he has returned to Tampa Bay to have his right shoulder examined. No word yet on if he will catch back up with the club or if the Rays will replace him in the rotation. Jeff Niemann is also being checked out after shoulder pain caused him to miss his start this past Saturday in Toronto.
Max Scherzer (8-13, 4.19) is in line to pitch for the home team on Tuesday. The series concludes Wednesday afternoon with Matt Garza (13-9, 3.88) facing Justin Verlander (14-9, 3.81).
NOTE: W-L records displayed for starting pitchers are team records in games the pitchers start.
The Tampa Bay Rays look to get back into the win column and stop a five-game losing skid Monday evening when they send David Price to the mound in Detroit.
The Tampa Bay Rays will try to break out of their recent tailspin when their road trip continues in Detroit against the Tigers to start the week. With two-fifths of their rotation being looked at by doctors, the Rays will turn to their ace David Price (14-7, 2.82) to stop the bleeding. He'll be opposed by Detroit's Armando Galarraga (8-5, 4.32).
MLB oddsmakers like Price's chances in Monday's 7:05 p.m. start at Comerica Park. Early betting lines made the Rays 145-150 favorites, setting the total at 8½ runs.
Tampa Bay's weekend north of the border was a complete disaster as the Rays were swept by the Blue Jays. Sunday's loss marked the fifth consecutive defeat for Joe Maddon's men, and came within an out of being the third time the Rays were no-hit this season.
Toronto's Brandon Morrow saw his no-hit bid busted up by an Evan Longoria single off Aaron Hill's glove with two outs in the ninth. Morrow stayed in and completed the 1-0 win as a 125 favorite by striking out his 17th batter to end it. The 'under' brought the Rays to a level 3-3 in the totals column over their last six.
Like the Rays, Detroit also entered action Sunday with a four-game losing skid. Unlike Tampa Bay, Detroit snapped its streak with a 9-4 rout of the Angels. The Tigers were minus 130 favorites in avoiding a Halos sweep, and will also enter this series with a recent 3-3 stretch at the totals window.
The Tigers were in Tampa two weeks ago and dropped all four to the Rays. Detroit was the underdog in all four games, ranging from +135 to +220 on the baseball betting board. Three of the four contests stayed below the total.
The Rays last visited Motown in late August 2009 with the two teams splitting the four-game series. Price hurled one of Tampa's wins in that set, working into the eighth and allowing just a run in the Rays' 3-1 triumph as 135 chalk. That's his only start at Comerica, though he does have a couple of scoreless relief outings on this mound back in 2008.
The left-hander out of Vanderbilt also chalked up one of the wins over the Tigers at home two weeks ago. Price was pronounced chalk (-230) on July 29 when he worked 6 1/3 innings and was charged with both Detroit runs in the 4-2 victory.
He's coming off just his second no-decision of the MLB season, a 2-1 Rays loss to the Twins last Wednesday at home. Price and the Rays carried a minus 180 line into that game and he left after seven with a one-zip deficit. Tampa Bay tied the game in the ninth before Minnesota won it in the 13th.
Detroit has dropped three of Galarraga's four starts since he was recalled from the minors on July 20. The most recent was last Wednesday at Comerica when the ChiSox took a 4-1 win as 110 underdogs. Galarraga allowed all four Chicago runs in 7 2/3 innings, with three of the runs coming plateward via Paul Konerko's two blasts.
This will be his fourth career start versus Tampa Bay, with the Tigers 2-1 in the previous three. The irony there is Detroit has won the two games Galarraga pitched poorly (10 IP combined, 11 ER) and lost the game he hurled seven innings of one-run ball.
Wade Davis (11-10, 4.45) is scheduled to go in Game 2 on Tuesday for the Rays, but he has returned to Tampa Bay to have his right shoulder examined. No word yet on if he will catch back up with the club or if the Rays will replace him in the rotation. Jeff Niemann is also being checked out after shoulder pain caused him to miss his start this past Saturday in Toronto.
Max Scherzer (8-13, 4.19) is in line to pitch for the home team on Tuesday. The series concludes Wednesday afternoon with Matt Garza (13-9, 3.88) facing Justin Verlander (14-9, 3.81).
NOTE: W-L records displayed for starting pitchers are team records in games the pitchers start.
