The Braves are favored tonight against the Rays and each team is in first place in their respective divisions, but may not be with a loss in this game.
Tampa Bay Rays (41-23) at Atlanta Braves (37-28)
Sportsbook has the Braves at -135 with the Rays at +115 with a run total of 8.5.
The Braves are still in first place in the NL East, but they only have a slight .5 game lead over the red-hot New York Mets, who have won 5 straight.
The Rays are tied with the Yankees atop the AL East. Both teams in tonight’s match up are division leaders, but are not playing like it lately, as each is only 5-5 in their last 10 games.
ADVERTISEMENT: TAMPA IS A RARE UNDERDOG IN INTERLEAGUE PLAY - DO YOU LIKE WADE DAVIS AT +115? THE LINE MAY BE BETTER THAN THAT AT Sportsbook SO CHECK IT OUT.
This season the Braves are 19-7 at home and the Rays are 23-8 on the road. The rays are the best away team in baseball, as they are in the only team in the Majors that does not have double-digit losses away from home.
The Rays won the Sportsbook game in this series last night 10-4, which snapped Atlanta’s nine game home winning streak. The Braves stranded 14 base runners in yesterday’s game and they have to get some timely hitting tonight with people on base.
The Braves are looking to avoid back-to-back losses at home for the first time since April.
Sportsbook
Taking the mound for the Braves tonight is Tommy Hanson (6-3 3.69 ERA), who in his last outing went five innings giving up two earned runs in a no decision. Wade Davis (5-6 4.91 ERA) is on the hill for the Rays and in his last outing he only gave up three earned runs in seven innings, but got no run support and took the loss.
The Braves are 10-3 in Hanson’s starts this season and he has been awesome in inter-league play, as he will be looking for his fourth straight win tonight against an AL team. In his three inter-league wins Hanson has an ERA of only 1.03.
Davis has lost three straight starts and tonight’s game is his first career game against the Braves and first career inter-league start.
The Rays are only 2-5 in Davis’ last five starts.
The Braves offense has been solid for the last few weeks and they will be facing a Tampa Bay pitching staff that has given up the fewest runs in the AL.
Tampa Bay is 8-3 in their last 11 inter-league games and 9-1 in their last 10 games as a road underdog.
Atlanta is 1-4 in their last five inter-league games at home and 4-0 in their last four games facing a right hand starter.
