Friday's interleague matchup between the Reds and Rays is set to get started at 6:50 PM ET from Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL. The Reds are 49-53 and have won two straight, and they are starting Nick Lodolo. The Rays are slight money line favorites, with their odds sitting at -114. They are starting Shane Baz and are 4th in the AL East.
As for the over/under line, it is currently at 7.5 runs, and BSOH is carrying this one on TV. Cincinnati is 4th in the NL Central, while the Rays are 4th in the AL East.
Cincinnati vs. Tampa Bay Matchup At A Glance
- Teams: Reds at Rays
- Where: Tropicana Field St. Petersburg
- Date: Friday, July 26th
- Betting Odds TB -114 | CIN -105 O/U 7.5
Reds Preview
The Reds's offense was hot right out of the gates in their most recent game vs. the Braves, closing out their series with a 9-4 win. After allowing one run to the Braves in the bottom of the first, the Reds responded with four runs of their own. Cincinnati went on to add another three runs in the 3rd inning.
Starting for the Reds was Frankie Montas, who picked up the win. He went 4 1/3 innings, giving up four earned runs on json0 hits. Jake Fraley had a big game at the plate, going 3/5 with a homer and two RBIs.
On the road, the Reds have been a strong bet against the run line, boasting a 32-17 record. They have an overall run line record of 55-47 and are 34-21 as underdogs. Cincinnati is 5-5 in their last 10 games and have won two straight, heading into today's game vs. the Rays.
Cincinnati's overall record is 49-53, and they are 10 games behind the Brewers in the NL Central. The Reds closed out their series vs. the Braves with two straight wins, and their average run total per game this season is 8.6 runs.
Cincinnati is sending left-hander Nick Lodolo to the mound today vs. the Rays. He has made 15 starts this season and has a record of 8-3 with a 3.51 ERA. Lodolo's WHIP for the season is currently 1.12, and he has turned in six quality starts. The last time he pitched, Lodolo finished with a no-decision, going 6 1/3 innings vs. the Nationals. In that outing, he gave up four earned runs, eight hits, and one homer. Lodolo has not given up more than four earned runs in any of his last three outings.
Elly De La Cruz has been on a tear of late for the Reds, hitting .357 over his last seven games with three homers and eight runs scored. For the season, he is batting .262 with a team-high 18 homers and 45 RBIs. Spencer Steer is also a significant power threat for the Reds, as he is 3rd on the team in RBIs (64) and has 15 homers.
As a team, the Reds are averaging 4.5 runs per game, which is 14th in the league. They are also 11th in home runs and have a collective batting average of .231. So far, they have been a good road team, averaging 4.5 runs per contest.
Rays Preview
The Rays's offense was hot right out of the gates in their most recent game vs. the Blue Jays, closing out their series with a 13-0 win. After scoring just one run in the 1st inning, the Rays added another two runs in the 3rd to take a 3-0 lead. Tampa Bay really broke things open with a four-run 6th inning and added another five runs in the 7th to close things out.
Taj Bradley put together a good start for the Rays, going six innings and not giving up a run. He also issued just one walk and struck out seven Blue Jays batters. Tampa Bay's offense was carried by Brandon Lowe, who went 4/4 with a homer and three RBIs.
Today, the Rays are 27-27 at home and 25-24 on the road. Their overall record is 52-51, and they are 9.5 games behind the Orioles in the AL East. Tampa Bay's series record this season is 18-12-3, and they've won two straight games as the underdog.
When the Rays win, they win by an average of 2.8 runs, but they've been outscored by 0.5 runs per game overall. Against the run line, they are 49-54, with a 29-20 record as the underdog and 20-34 as the favorite. The over/under record for Rays games this season is 50-48, and the over has hit in their last two games.
Shane Baz will be making his third start of the season for the Rays, and he will be facing the Reds at home. He has a no-decision in each of his first two starts, and in his last outing, he went 3 1/3 innings, striking out 1 and giving up 4 hits. He is still looking for his first win of the season.
So far this season, the Rays offense has been one of the worst in the league, averaging just 4 runs per game. They have been even worse at home, averaging only 3.7 runs per contest. As a team, they are batting just .235, which is 17th in the league, and are also near the bottom of the league in home runs.
Isaac Paredes has been the Rays' top power threat this season, as his 16 home runs lead the team and are 13th in the league. However, he is batting just .250. Yandy Diaz has been a solid run producer for the Rays, as his 46 RBIs are 2nd on the team, and he is batting .273. Randy Arozarena has also been a solid run producer, with 15 homers and 37 RBIs, but he is batting just .211.
Reds vs. Rays Prediction: Reds ML -105
Our pick for today's Reds vs. Rays matchup is to take the Reds on the money line, with the payout currently sitting at -105. We have the Reds winning this one by a score of 5-4.
Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Nick Lodolo finishing with seven strikeouts, which is the second-best among today's starters. As for Shane Baz, we have him finishing with six strikeouts, which is 15th.
