Two of the top teams in major league baseball square off when the Arizona Diamondbacks (47-32, 23-18 home) battle the Tampa Bay Rays (54-27, 20-17 away) in a three-game interleague series. The two teams battle each other in Arizona for the first time since the 2016 season when the Rays took two of three from the D’Backs.
Tuesday’s first pitch is scheduled for 9:40 p.m. EST inside Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona. Arizona is the betting favorite (-125 moneyline), and the over/under total is 8.5 runs.
What to Know – Tampa Bay Rays
Tampa makes a rare trip to the desert to close out the month of June looking to build back up their lead in the AL East. The Rays have dropped five of their last eight games and hold a four-game edge over the Baltimore Orioles in the division.
Right-hander Taj Bradley (5-3, 3.86 ERA, 1.20 WHIP) is the expected starter for the Rays. Bradley logged his longest outing of the season in his last start, firing six innings of one-run ball to collect his fifth victory. In ten appearances this season, the 22-year-old has logged 49.0 innings, allowing 21 earned runs on 44 hits and 15 walks while striking out 71 batters.
Offensively, the Rays rank third in the majors and second in the AL batting .266 as a team and scoring 5.6 runs per contest. The pitching staff for Tampa is second in the MLB with a 3.59 team earned run average, trailing only the Houston Astros.
Tampa’s offensive production has come from up and down the lineup this year. Randy Arozarena leads the way with 14 home runs and 54 runs batted in. Isaac Paredes is right there as well, adding 13 home runs and 50 RBIs.
What to Know – Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona avoided a sweep at the hands of the San Francisco Giants with a 5-2 victory on Sunday. The Diamondbacks closed out a seven-game road trip with a 4-3 mark and sit atop the NL West with a 2.5-game lead.
The Diamondbacks roll with Zac Gallen (9-2, 2.84 ERA, 1.09 WHIP), who’ll look to pick up his tenth win of the year. The staff ace looks to keep things rolling after back-to-back quality starts over his last two appearances. Gallen has accumulated 98.1 innings on the mound, surrendering 31 earned runs, 87 hits, and 20 walks, with 104 strikeouts.
Arizona’s offense is fourth in the league hitting .264 as a squad and averaging 5.2 runs per game. The D’Backs pitching staff is 21st amongst league opponents sporting a 4.42-team ERA.
Corbin Carroll has lived up to his billing for the Arizona offense in his first full season. The 22-year-old five-tool player leads the team with 16 home runs and has stolen 23 bases. Christian Walker has benefited the most with Carroll’s on-base presence, knocking in 53 RBIs.
The Pick is In
Gallen is the key in the series opener for Arizona, and we expect the righty to limit the Rays’ potent offense. The Diamondbacks get a few runs on the board early off Bradley and hold on to take Game 1.
The Pick: Arizona Diamondbacks ML
