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The top two teams in the AL East clash when the Yankees and Rays open a four-game rivalry series Thursday night down in St. Pete. New York leads Tampa by 6.5 games in the divisional race, so this series is a chance for either the Yanks to really pull away or for the Rays to make up ground. Who do we like here for our free MLB pick?
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<h2>
MLB Betting Odds<br />
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Thursday's MLB betting odds opened New York at around -110 over Tampa, with an over/under of nine runs. Both those figures were holding steady in the early betting action.
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<h2>
Yanks vs. Rays Set-Up<br />
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New York just split two games with the Mets earlier this week, losing Tuesday 4-2 but winning Wednesday 5-1. Just before that the Yankees swept two games from Boston, and just before that they swept three games from Toronto. Going back a bit New York is 14-2 over its last 16 games.
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Tampa, meanwhile, just took two of three games from Baltimore earlier this week, missing out on the sweep by losing Wednesday 9-6. That game was tied at 3-3 into the ninth inning when the Rays gave up six Orioles runs.
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Just before that Tampa took two of three from Texas. So the Rays are 4-1 over their last five games.
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At 55-29 overall the Yankees lead the AL East by 6.5 games over 50-37 Tampa Bay. New York also leads Minnesota and Houston by a game and a half in the battle for the best record in the American League.
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The Rays also lead the AL wild-card race by two games over second-place Cleveland.
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The Yanks lead the season series with Tampa seven games to two.
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<h2>
Thursday's Starting Arms<br />
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Chirinos, by our stringent accounting, is 5/11 on quality starts this season, but three for his last five. Last Friday he gave up four runs – three earned – on five hits and four walks through six innings of a 5-0 Rays loss to Texas. But over his last five starts, he's allowed just 10 earned runs and 25 hits through 32 innings.
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On the season Tampa is 5-6 with Chirinos starting this year, and while it's 0-4 over his last four starts, that's not all his fault.
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In three appearances against New York this season, two in relief, Chirinos allowed five runs and 13 hits over 14 2/3 innings. The Rays lost that start by a score of 3-0.
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Lefty Happ is only 4/16 on quality starts this year and 0 for his last three. Eleven days ago he got bounced for eight runs and 11 hits, including three homers, through four innings of a 9-4 loss to Houston. And over his last three starts, he's allowed 14 runs and 23 hits through 14 innings.
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The Yankees are 11-5 with Happ this season, but only 1-2 over his last three starts.
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Over his last four starts against Tampa Bay, three last year, including two when he was still with Toronto, and one a couple of weeks ago, Happ allowed just five runs and 13 hits through 22 2/3 innings. The Yanks won their two games with Happ.
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<h2>
Thursday's Batting Splits<br />
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New York is batting .274/.350/.484 against right-handed pitching this season. Those numbers help this lineup rank No. 1 in the Majors in that split.
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Tampa is batting .255/.322/.399 against left-handed pitching this season.
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<h2>
The Bullpens<br />
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The Yankees bullpen owns a 4.10 ERA this season and a 1.30 WHIP while allowing a .715 OPS.
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The Rays pen owns a 3.50 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP while allowing a .682 OPS. Numbers like those help this unit rank as one of the top three or four bullpens in Baseball at the moment.
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<h2>
Totals Report<br />
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Overs are 46-35 in Yankees games this season.
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Unders are 44-35 in Rays games this season.
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Totals are split 4-4-1 in Yanks-Rays games this season.
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Overs are 19-18 in games played at Tropicana Field this season.
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Unders are a combined 16-9 in games started by Chirinos and Happ this season.
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<span style="font-size:16px;"><b><span style="color:#008000;">Get more details:</span></b> <a class="advblue" href="https://www.sportsbettingstats.com/mlb/matchup/1079703">Yankees at Rays MLB Match-up Stats</a> </span>
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