Tampa Bay Rays vs Detroit Tigers 8/4/2023 Analysis, Bets, and Odds
On Friday night at Comerica Park, the first game of a three-game series between the Tampa Bay Rays (66-45, 56-55 RL, 57-50-4 O/U) and the Detroit Tigers (48-60, 55-52 RL, 56-47-4 O/U) will take place.
The Rays (66-45) have split their last 10 games overall and are two games behind Baltimore, who is in first place in the AL East. Wander Franco, an SS for Tampa Bay, hit a two-run home run on Wednesday, but it wasn’t enough to prevent a 7-2 defeat to New York on the road.
On Friday, Zack Littell will get the ball rolling. When he last pitched, Littell was terrific, allowing only two runs over five innings to give him his first victory of the year. The veteran is a reliever, but the Rays have a position open after sending Taj Bradley to the minors, and Aaron Civale, their newest acquisition, will start tomorrow. Littell has pitched 29.2 innings this season with a 4.85 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, and a 1-2 record. Littell pitched four scoreless frames against the Tigers.
Despite a couple of unexpected losing streaks in July, Tampa Bay has recovered, winning two of three games last week in Houston and then going 2-0 in its last three games on the road. The Rays trail the Orioles by 1.5 games atop the division entering Thursday and are 6-4 in their last ten matches.
This season, Luke Raley has been a welcome surprise for the Rays. The 28-year-old first baseman has a fantastic.884 OPS, 40 RBIs, and 15 home runs to his credit. Raley’s current slump has resulted in just one RBI in his previous 10 games and this season, he has one RBI in three encounters with the Tigers. He has a knee ailment and is uncertain.
The Rays score 5.16 runs per game on average, placing them fourth in baseball. The pitching staff is still top-notch and boasts a third-place 3.80 team ERA.
The Rays’ right-hander Zack Littell, who is 27 years old and has a record of 1-2 with a 4.85 ERA, will make his fifth start of the year. Littell has pitched over 30 innings, giving up four home runs while striking out 30 hitters and recording a poor 1.48 WHIP.
Despite being eight games under, the Detroit Tigers are only 6.5 games behind the lead in the AL Central Division battle.500 at home. Zach Short led Detroit to a 6-3 road victory over Pittsburgh on Wednesday with two singles and a career-high three runs batted in. The Tigers, who moved to 48-60 overall, were victorious thanks to SP Eduardo Rodriguez (7-5) who allowed two runs over six innings.
On Friday night, Reese Olson will get the go-ahead. Olson struggled harder against the Marlins in his last start, yielding four runs on eight hits over six innings, but he could escape with a no-decision in a game the Tigers lost. The youngster has had some standout performances but has also struggled, as seen by his 4.71 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 1-4 record, and 49.2 innings pitched. He is facing the Rays for the first time in his career.
Tampa Bay Rays vs Detroit Tigers 8/4/2023 Analysis, Bets, and Odds
Detroit, which was once again a seller this year, intends to compete in the AL Central next year. This season, the youthful core has undoubtedly shown potential. They had one victory in two games in Pittsburgh before going on a brief road trip and 2-3, plating seven runs in the two games. The Tigers are 3-7 in their last ten outings.
Javier Baez’s season has been terrible. The veteran shortstop has a respectable 49 RBIs, but his season OPS is a dismal.592, which is terrible for a shortstop. Baez has only collected three RBIs in his past ten games, and this season, he is 0 for 10 with zero RBIs versus the Rays.
Detroit is ranked 28th in the league with an average run total of just 3.93 this season. With a good 4.48 team ERA, the pitching staff ranks 21st overall.
Reese Olson, a rookie right-hander (1-4, 4.71 ERA), will start for the Tigers in his ninth big league game. Olson lost his previous game against Miami 6-5 after allowing eight hits and four runs in six innings of work.
Tampa Bay Rays vs Detroit Tigers. The MLB pick for this game goes to the Detroit Tigers. Shane McClanahan, the Tampa Bay starting pitcher, was forced to leave the game on Wednesday due to soreness in his left forearm. Through 111 games, Tampa Bay is fourth in runs scored and fifth in OPS. Detroit is currently 28th in runs scored and 29th in OPS for the season. The Tigers should triumph at home. Prediction: This match will yield a 5-4 Detroit Tigers victory.
MLB Starting Time: 6:40 PM ET
Location: Comerica Park in Detroit, MI
Date: Friday, August 4, 2023
TV: ATV+
MLB Odds: Detroit Tigers +122
MLB Totals: 9.0
