Rays Look to Ride Monday’s Momentum in Game 2 with Twins
Who: Minnesota Twins v. Tampa Bay Rays
When: Tuesday September 5th, 2017 7:10PM EST
Where: Tropicana Field—St. Petersburg, Florida
The Rays and Twins are exactly the same in that both teams are fighting for what looks to be only one realistic Wild Card spot. With the Yankees 3 games ahead of the pack, there are about 5 AL teams fighting for the last and final Wild Card berth. As it stands, the Twins lay claim to that position, but the Rays are not too far behind. This week’s series between the two sides will more than likely be a pivotal one for their respective playoff pursuits.
The series opener on Monday saw the Rays skirt past the Twins by the way of an 11-4 scoreline. The Rays have not exactly been a prolific offensive outfit this year, so a burst of runs the likes of which we saw on Monday is not exactly something Tampa fans have come to expect. Nonetheless, Monday’s performance shows that the Rays are capable of scoring a lot of runs, and also capable of doing it against teams that are also playoff contenders. Whether or not that type of offensive explosion will occur again on Tuesday remains to be seen, but the Rays are full of confidence.
As for the Twins, they have now lost 3 of their last 4. Only a week ago, the Twins seemed to be pulling away from the rest of the pack, and inching closer to the Yankees for the top Wild Card position. Now, only .5 games ahead of the Angels, the Twins really need to buckle in and play solid, playoff-worthy baseball. The Rays are not an easy team to win against, and no one is expecting the Twins to brush them aside with any amount of ease, but if they want to prove that they are a team worthy of making a run in the playoffs, these are the games and series where the Twins really need to shine.
Game Overview and Analysis
Starting on the mound for the visiting Twins (+125) will be the seasoned veteran Bartolo Colon (6-10 6.25 ERA). Despite the fact that many people—most of which are fans of the Twins—refuse to admit it, Bartolo Colon’s career may be nearing an end. The starter is not playing his best baseball by any stretch of the imagination this year, and the fact of the matter is that it shows in the amount of runs he is giving up on each and every outing. Over the course of his last 4 starts, Colon has been able to keep his earned run tally below 3 on one occasion. Despite the fact that his record is 2-0 over those 4 aforementioned starts, Colon has not been able to pitch much more than 90 balls all season long. To make a long story short, if the Rays’ offense comes out on Tuesday like it did on Monday, Colon may be in for a long night.
As for the Twins offense, the plan is simple; they need to provide their pitcher(s) with run support. Putting just 4 runs up on the board will not cut it most nights, and if they want to prevent the Wild Card spot from slipping further away, they will need to turn things up on Tuesday.
For the Rays (-145), it will be Jake Odorizzi (7-7 4.85 ERA) who will get the start. Odorizzi, like Colon, has been giving up a rather concerning number of earned runs in each of his last few outings, as seen by the fact that his ERA is closing in on 5. He is not the pitcher most Rays fans will want to see taking the mound in a game that is being looked at as a must-win, but the 5-year veteran is looking to turn things around.
If the Rays’ offense can come close to replicate what it did on Monday night on Tuesday, their chances of winning will improve dramatically. If things are left solely in Odorizzi’s hands, this game is looking like more of a toss-up than anything else. No matter what way you slice it, the pitcher who performs better is the one that will more than likely get the win. Unfortunately, picking which of the 2 is going to show up and put on a good performance is very difficult right now.
Betting Prediction
The Rays (-145) are listed by Bovada as favorites, and that is something I have to agree with. I do not think Bartolo Colon is the threat he once was, and with Tampa’s newfound offensive confidence, I think they have a good chance to take game number 2 of this series.
As for the over/under, it is currently listed at 9.5 runs (+105/-125). For this game, I think the over (+105) is the best bet to take, simply because these two pitchers cannot seem to keep runs off the board. What’s more, if the Rays’ offense goes off 2 nights in a row, 9.5 runs will be surpassed with ease.