Detroit Tigers (70-77) vs. Tampa Bay Rays (91-56)
September 18, 2021 4:10 pm EDT
The Line: Tampa Bay Rays -222 / Detroit Tigers +160; Over/Under: +8
(Get latest betting odds)
The Detroit Tigers and the Tampa Bay Rays meet Saturday in MLB action from Tropicana Field. This will be the third installment in a four-game weekend series. Tampa Bay took a three-run win in the Thursday opener, then on Friday the Rays won by three runs. Check back all season long for free MLB picks at Sports Chat Place.
Detroit fell behind 2-0 quickly in the Thursday opener, eventually falling in a 5-2 result. In the Friday matchup, the Tigers coughed up six late runs in a 7-4 defeat. Starter Casey Mize managed 3.0 innings with one earned and one walk.
For the starter job in the Saturday game, the Tigers will send out Tarik Skubal. Across his 28 games (26 starts) this year Skubal has an 8-12 record with a 4.21 ERA and 160 Ks in 139.0 innings of work.
Over on the Rays’ side, they posted seven team hits in the Thursday opener win. In the Friday game, Tampa Bay scored six across the ninth and tenth innings on the way to the victory. Luis Patino put up 6.0 innings with four earned on six hits and a walk.
Starting pitcher for the Rays on Saturday will be Ryan Yarbrough. In his 138.1 innings this year Yarbrough has 152 hits, 89 runs (81 earned), 22 homers allowed, 26 walks, 106 Ks and a 5.27 ERA.
The Tigers are 84-180 in their last 264 versus a team with a winning record and the under is 23-7 in their last 30 on turf. The under is also 15-5-1 in Detroit’s last 21 versus a lefty starter.
Meanwhile, the Rays are 39-14 in their last 53 home games and 37-16 in their last 53 Saturday games. Tampa Bay is also 44-20 in their last 64 overall.
PICK: I’m sticking with the Rays. Yarbrough really needs a good outing here, though. In his last two starts, Yarbrough has a combined 14 earned runs on 18 hits and three walks across just 4.1 innings of work. He had a good three-game run going prior to that, however. As for Skubal he’s been decent over his last pair but I don’t think he’ll be out there for very long. This looks like another Tampa victory.
