4:15 pm
October 8

Astros @ Rays

Who will WIN this matchup?

Houston Astros

@ Tampa Bay Rays

 

Starting Pitchers:

Verlander (HOU): 1-0; 0.00 ERA

Castillo (TB) 0-0; 0.00 ERA (opener)

 

Current odds:

Houston Astros: (-240)

Tampa Bay Rays: (+210)

 

• The Tampa Bay Rays were the first team to truly embrace the “bullpen day” in which they utilize a host of relievers instead of a traditional starter. They’ll employ that method in a do-or-die Game 4 of the American League Division Series against arguably the best starter in baseball in Houston’s Justin Verlander when the Astros visit the Rays on Tuesday. Tampa Bay avoided a sweep with a 10-3 win in Monday’s Game 3, utilizing four home runs and a solid pitching performance led by Charlie Morton to keep its season alive. “The crowd was tremendous,” Rays manager Kevin Cash told the media of the Game 3 environment. “Thank the Bay area fans. It was awesome. … We fed off that momentum right there for multiple innings.”

• Carrying that momentum over against Verlander is no easy task, as the former MVP tossed seven scoreless innings while yielding one hit in leading the Astros to a Game 1 victory. Diego Castillo will serve as Tampa Bay’s opener as the club tries to force a deciding Game 5 on Thursday in Houston.

• Verlander’s Game 1 win left him at 8-0 with a 2.14 ERA in 12 games (11 starts) in the division series round, and 14-7 with a 3.05 mark in his postseason career. He has won four straight starts dating to the regular season, allowing five runs in 24 innings during that span. The 36-year-old is 6-3 with a 2.87 ERA in 10 career starts at Tropicana Field.

• Castillo served as the opener six times during the regular season and posted a 6.15 ERA in that role, compared to 3.08 in his 59 relief appearances. He tossed two scoreless innings in the AL wild-card game against Oakland and another 1 2/3 scoreless in the Game 2 loss at Houston. Game 1 starter Tyler Glasnow, Game 2 starter Blake Snell and southpaw Ryan Yarbrough — who has thrown just one inning of relief in the series — are all candidates to get some outs with the season on the line.

• Rays SS Willy Adames went 3-for-3 with a home run and a double in Game 3 after opening the postseason 1-for-8 with four strikeouts.

• Astros 2B Jose Altuve is 4-for-13 with two home runs and two doubles in the series.

• Tampa Bay is 7-4 in its postseason history when facing elimination.

6/10
Confidence
StreakSmarter Pick
Houston Astros
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