Rangers vs. Rays Preview
TAMPA, FL (AP) – The Tampa Bay Rays have won 13 of their last 16 regular-season home games against the Texas Rangers. That’s little solace to them considering the way things turned out at Tropicana Field in last year’s AL division series.
The Rays and Rangers meet for the first time since last postseason Monday night in the opener of a three-game set.
Tampa Bay (28-24) had the best record in the AL last year heading into its series with the wild card Rangers, but lost all three games at home to left-handers – two to Cliff Lee and one to C.J. Wilson. Lee’s six-hitter in Game 5 was the difference in a 5-1 Texas victory.
According to MLB odds and oddsmakers from online sports book SBGGLOBAL.com have made the Rays -115 money line favorites for Monday’s game against the Rangers. Current MLB Public Betting Information shows that 83% of more than 140 bets for this game have been placed on the Rangers -105.
It was a difficult series for Evan Longoria, who went 4 for 20 with one homer and two RBIs. Those woes may have carried over into this season, as his struggles caused manager Joe Maddon to move him into the leadoff slot the last two games.
That move appeared to pay as Longoria went 4 for 7 with three walks. Maddon, however, has not decided if his third baseman will bat leadoff again Monday.
The Rays will play without one of their hottest hitters in Casey Kotchman, who left with a sprained right ankle after four innings of Sunday’s 7-0 victory over Cleveland. Felipe Lopez will likely get the start at first base Monday, with Texas (28-25) starting left-hander Derek Holland.
“I hate to lose (Kotchman),” Maddon told the Rays’ official website. “It’s not only about his offense. His defense is (great). His offense has been great, but I don’t want to miss him defensively.”
Holland (3-1, 4.68 ERA) pitched 4 2-3 innings of relief in last year’s division series, allowing three runs. He’s 2-1 with a 7.04 ERA in three regular-season starts against the Rays.
The southpaw does not have a decision in his last six starts. Holland lasted four innings and yielded four runs in last Tuesday’s 8-6 loss to the White Sox.
Including postseason, Longoria is 7 for 11 with two homers and four doubles off Holland. B.J. Upton is 4 for 7.
Upton, though, also turned in a poor division series, going 4 for 21. This season, his .159 average at home is among the worst in baseball and in stark contrast to major league batting leader Matt Joyce, who is hitting .393 at Tropicana Field.
The Rays will give the ball Monday to Wade Davis (4-4, 3.71), their only starter to win in last year’s playoffs. Davis gave up two runs over five innings in a 5-2 victory that forced the decisive fifth game.
The right-hander is 0-2 with a 5.21 ERA in his last three starts, and did not get a decision Tuesday at Detroit after allowing five runs in six innings of a 7-6 loss.
Rangers fixtures Michael Young (3 for 20) and Josh Hamilton (2 for 18) fared poorly in last year’s division series. The Rays were instead victimized by Ian Kinsler (8 for 18) and Nelson Cruz (8 for 20), with Kinsler homering and driving in three runs in Game 5.
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