The midweek series between the two teams atop the American League East comes to an end on Thursday afternoon, as the Tampa Bay Rays finish their stint at Yankee Stadium with an early matinee. The Yankees have run out to an early lead in the division thanks to solid pitching and an explosive offense, but the injuries are starting to mount. The Rays are just a couple games back of the Pinstripes; can they pull closer to the Yankees? Or will the Yankees finish the series by extending their lead?
If you plan to include this game in your baseball betting for the week, don’t miss our MLB preview.
MLB Game:
Tampa Bay Rays at N.Y. Yankees (August 20)
Series Games
Where: Thursday, August 20, 2020, 1:05 pm ET
Where: Yankee Stadium, The Bronx, NY
TV: Fox Sports Sun / YES Network
Radio: WDAE 620 AM Tampa / St. Petersburg / WFAN 660 AM New York City
Live Stream: MLB.tv
Series Details
Where: Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia
Radio: WCNN 680 AM Atlanta / WIP 94.1 FM Philadelphia
Live Stream: MLB.tv
MLB Odds:
Thursday: Undecided (TB) vs James Paxton (1-1, 7.04 ERA) (NY)
Projected Pitching Matchups:
Thursday: Undecided (TB) vs James Paxton (1-1, 7.04 ERA) (NY)
Why should you Bet on Tampa Bay?
The Rays have yet to name a starter for Thursday’s game. After starting Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow, it will be interesting to see whether they rely on an opener and long relief or call up a starter to fill the slot. I wouldn’t lock in a big wager on this game until you see who the starter is going to be for the Rays, though.
Tampa Bay has gotten consistent output from Willy Adames, their solid shortstop who plays nothing but terrific defense and has a good bat for a shortstop, batting .284 so far on the season. He hit 20 home runs last year, so he has plenty of pop in his bat. He’s been an unsung hero on a team that really doesn’t have a big superstar, and he doesn’t get as much press as some of the other top shortstops — not because of his numbers, but because of his understated personality.
Why should you Put your Money on the Yankees?
James Paxton has started four games so far in 2020, and the Yankees have won two of them. However, they had to score 20 runs in those games (combined) to get those wins, as he has permitted three earned runs in each of his four starts and the bullpen also gave up a lot in those games. He faced Tampa Bay on August 9 and permitted three runs on for hits, including a pair of home runs, in 6 ⅓ innings. Of his 19 outs, 11 came via the K, so he has the stuff to put hitters away, but he needs to keep his fastballs down.
Another concern for the Yankees comes on their Injured List. Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and D.J. LeMahieu are all on the shelf for ten days — which takes up a big chunk of a 60-game regular season with fewer off days than most seasons. The Yankees have a deep 40-man roster, but it will be hard to replace the bats of those guys who are out.
Final Score and Prediction
Again, I’m not putting down money on this game until the Rays announce a starter. We do know that, with Paxton on the mound for New York, that the “over” might well be in play as a wager. Day games don’t tend to produce as much offense as night games, because it can be harder for hitters to pick up the ball out of the pitcher’s hand, but even so I think this series finale could turn into a bit of a barnburner.
I’m predicting that the Rays will win, 6-4, but I reserve the right to change my mind when the Rays name their pitcher.
Rays vs Yankees Betting Odds | Check the Odds
