Girardi’s surging Yankees visit Rays
Following a well-earned day of rest for their numerous veterans, the Yankees are ready to resume a most improbable playoff chase.
While Joe Girardi’s bunch still trails the Orioles by 6 ½ games for the American League East lead, it carries a ton of momentum into tonight’s series opener vs. Tampa Bay. Online sports book BetDSI stops short of endorsing the visiting Yanks, though, listing them as +110 underdogs here. The Rays, conversely, receive odds of -120 to prevail.
New York, which boasts eight victories over the past 11 contests, sends Ivan Nova to the mound. After a difficult June, the righty has performed markedly better this month. In his last three assignments, Nova carries a 2.95 ERA and 17 strikeouts across 18 1/3 innings. He’s only faced Kevin Cash’s club in a relief capacity.
As for the Rays, they counter with Jake Odorizzi. The victim of poor run support, Odorizzi’s numbers pale in comparison to what he posted during his breakthrough 2015 campaign. At the same time, he relishes facing the Yankees. On May 29, the 26-year-old held the Bronx Bombers to a pair of runs on just one hit.
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Tampa Bay, at 39-61, already seems content to play out the string and regroup for next spring. Can the occasionally erratic Nova, however, continue New York’s dynamic stretch of pitching? We like those chances.
FRIDAY MLB FREE PICK: YANKEES +1.5