At 11:35 AM ET, the Reds and Rays square off in an interleague matchup. This one is being played at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, and the Reds are the slight money line favorite (-131). The money line odds for the Rays are sitting at +110, and the over/under line is at 7.5 runs.
Cincinnati is 50-54 and is 4th in the NL Central, while the Rays are 53-52 and are 4th in the AL East. Hunter Greene will start for the Reds, while Shawn Armstrong goes for the Rays.
Cincinnati vs. Tampa Bay Matchup At A Glance
- Teams: Reds at Rays
- Where: Tropicana Field St. Petersburg
- Date: Sunday, July 28th
- Betting Odds CIN -131 | TB +110 O/U 7.5
Reds vs Rays Last Game Recap
Tampa Bay cruised to a 4-0 win over the Reds in the most recent game of this series. The Rays had a huge 5th inning, scoring all four of their runs. As for the Reds, they had their best chance to score in the 6th, but could only muster one run. Heading into the game, the Rays were favored at -128 on the money line.
Zack Littell started for the Rays and picked up the win, going seven innings and not giving up a run. He finished the game with five strikeouts but issued just one walk. On the other side, Andrew Abbott got the start for the Reds and took the loss, giving up four earned runs in four innings of work.
At the plate, the Rays were led by Alex Jackson, Yandy Diaz, and Brandon Lowe, as they were the only three Rays hitters to have more than one hit. Jackson and Diaz each homered in the game. For the Reds, Curtis Mead went 2/2 with a double.
Reds Preview
Cincinnati has a 25-26 record on the road this season and are currently tied in their series vs. the Rays. The Reds' overall series record is 12-18-3, and their average run margin per game is 0.3 runs.
When betting the run line, the Reds have been more profitable on the road with a 32-19 run line record, compared to 23-30 at home. This season, they have gone over the total in 46 of their 100 games, and the under has hit in their last two games.
Hunter Greene has been pitching well for the Reds, as he has made 20 starts and has a record of 7-4. His ERA for the season is 3.15, along with a WHIP of 1.09. Greene's most recent outing came on July 22nd, where he picked up the win vs. the Braves. In that start, he went seven innings and didn't give up a run. Looking back further, he has given up just one earned run in three straight starts. Greene has one complete game shutout this season and nine quality starts. Per nine innings, he is averaging 10.2 strikeouts and 3.68 walks.
Elly De La Cruz has been one of the Reds' most consistent hitters this season, batting .258 overall and .286 over his last seven games. During this stretch, he has one home run and two RBIs. De La Cruz's 18 homers are the most on the team and 14th in the league. Spencer Steer and Jeimer Candelario are also near the top of the Reds' home run leaderboard, with 15 and 16 homers, respectively.
As a team, the Reds are averaging 4.4 runs per game, which is 14th in the league. Their team batting average of .229 is 20th in the MLB, and they are also one of the worst teams in terms of striking out, averaging nine strikeouts per game. Currently, Nick Martini is on a three-game hitting streak, while Stuart Fairchild has a four-game streak going.
Rays Preview
As underdogs, the Rays have struggled this season, going 24-26, but as favorites, they have a winning record of 29-26. Their overall series record is 18-12-3, and they are 6-4 in their last ten games. The Rays are 53-52 overall and 8.5 games behind the Orioles in the AL East.
On the run line, the Rays have a 51-54 record, including 29-20 on the road. The under has hit in two straight games for Tampa Bay, and their games have averaged 8.5 runs per game this season. The over/under record for the Rays is 50-50, and the average line for their games is 8 runs.
The Rays are starting right-hander Shawn Armstrong today vs. the Reds, and he has made six starts this year. Armstrong's ERA for the season is 5.64, and his WHIP is 1.61. So far, he has a record of 2-2. In his 37 appearances, Armstrong has a batting average allowed of .282, along with 9.87 strikeouts per nine innings. Armstrong's last outing came on July 23rd vs. the Blue Jays, where he went two innings, giving up one hit, one walk, and no runs. He finished with a no decision in that outing. Armstrong has finished with a no decision in each of his last three outings.
So far this season, the Rays offense is averaging just 4 runs per game, which is 26th in the league. They have been even worse at home, averaging only 3.7 runs per game. As a team, they are batting .235 and have the 21st home run total in the league. One area where they have been solid is in terms of walks, as they are currently 9th in the league in that category.
Isaac Paredes has been the Rays' top power hitter this season, as he has 16 homers, which is the best mark on the team. Yandy Diaz is batting .272 and has gone deep 9 times. Over his last five games, Brandon Lowe has gone 7/15 with two homers and six RBIs. Curtis Mead is also on a three-game hitting streak.
Reds vs. Rays Prediction: Rays ML +110
Our prediction for today's Reds vs. Rays matchup is to take the Rays on the money line at +110. We have the Rays winning this one by a final score of 6-5. Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Shawn Armstrong finishing with four strikeouts, which is second-worst among all starters.
If you're looking at Hunter Greene, he does have the highest strikeout projection among starters at eight. However, we still have him finishing with the fifth-most earned runs allowed. Offensively, the Rays are projected to finish with 10 hits compared to the Reds at eight.
