Rays Go For Sweep
Since their inaugural season, the Tampa Bay Rays’ annual trip to Miami has hardly been a vacation. All that is changing, however.
Following their biggest offensive outburst of the season, the Rays look to sweep a road series from the Florida Marlins for the first time when this three-game set concludes Thursday afternoon.
Oddsmakers from Sportsbook.com have made Tampa Bay -118 money line favorites (MLB Odds) for tonight’s game, the over/under has been set at 9 total runs (Matchup). Current public betting information shows that 51% of bets for this game have been placed on Tampa Bay -118 (View MLB Bet Percentages).
Second-place Tampa Bay (46-31) has been one of biggest surprises in baseball this season, standing just one game back of AL East-leading Boston.
The Marlins (40-37) are finding out first-hand. They lost 6-4 in Tuesday’s series opener and were crushed 15-3 on Wednesday, as Tampa Bay set season highs for runs in a game and in an inning with 10 in the fifth.
The Rays’ first nine batters of that inning reached and scored, as they came within one run of matching the biggest inning in franchise history. Carl Crawford opened the fifth with his second homer of the game, and Evan Longoria had two hits – including a two-run homer – and three RBIs in the inning.
"That was something special," Longoria said. "We don’t click too often. Hitting just became contagious."
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Tampa Bay has now won four straight at Florida after winning just seven of its first 27 games there. The Rays, who won two of three at home against the Marlins two weeks ago, have played a series at Florida in each of their 11 seasons of existence but have never swept one.
The Rays have won eight of 11 overall, and Crawford has been a big part of their surge. The two-time All-Star, who drove in a career-high five runs Wednesday, is batting .438 (14-for-32) with three homers and 11 RBIs during an eight-game hitting streak.
Like Tampa Bay, Florida is playing better than most expected, but it has been fading lately while its Sunshine State rival is still flourishing.
The Marlins have lost three straight and eight of 12. They were down 14-0 Wednesday before Mike Jacobs hit his 18th home run of the season in the sixth inning.
"Just a bad day for the Fish," Florida manager Fredi Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez gives the ball to Mark Hendrickson (7-5, 5.73 ERA) in the series finale, hoping he can break out of his funk.
The Marlins’ opening day starter began the year going 7-2 with a 4.14 ERA in 11 starts, but Hendrickson is 0-3 with a 10.03 ERA in his last five outings.
Against Tampa Bay on June 14, Hendrickson gave up three runs, four hits and three walks as he needed 103 pitches to go five innings in a 4-1 loss. Hendrickson, who pitched for the Rays from 2004-06, is 2-3 with a 4.33 ERA in six career starts against his former team.
On Friday, the left-hander allowed four runs and seven hits in 6 1-3 innings of a 7-6, 11-inning loss to Oakland.
Tampa Bay counters with Matt Garza (5-4, 4.10), who looks to beat Hendrickson and the Marlins for the second time in 12 days.
Garza was dominant in that matchup, giving up one run and three hits in seven innings, but has lost his other three starts this month. The right-hander allowed four runs and seven hits while striking out eight in six innings of a 4-3 loss to Houston on Friday.
Garza once again looks to get out of his rut on the road, where he is 0-2 with a 9.22 ERA in his last three outings.
The Marlins have lost three straight home games after winning nine of 12.
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