MLB Free Tuesday Pick- Baltimore Orioles at Tampa Bay Rays

Orioles Look for More Even Play

This week’s three-game AL East tilt between the Baltimore Orioles and the Tampa Bay Rays moves to Game 2 on Tuesday night.  The game is a 7:10 p.m. (ET) start at Tropicana Field. The Orioles beat the Rays 5-0 on Monday night. BetAnySports has listed the Rays as -125 home favorites and the total line is now at 8.5.

The Orioles (48-51) swept the Texas Rangers last week in an extended four-game series. They then lost two of three to Houston over the weekend. All seven games were at home. They avoided the sweep against the Astros on Sunday. Sunday’s 9-7 slugfest had the Jays as +115 home underdogs. The total went OVER the 10.5-run line. The total has gone OVER in six out of Baltimore’s last seven games. That Orioles offense has a scoring average of seven plus runs a game in that stretch.

Look for Wade Miley to be on the mound for the Orioles on Tuesday night. The left-hander is 4-8 on the year with a 5.58 ERA and a 1.82 WHIP. He failed to get the decision in last Thursday’s start against the Rangers. Miley allowed five earned runs on seven hits across five innings of work. This was the second start in a row he got bounced around after giving up seven earned runs on nine hits against the Chicago White Sox on July 15.

Tampa Bay Rays are Losers of 5-Straight

Tampa Bay dropped three straight to Texas at home over the weekend after losing last week’s series finale against Oakland on the road. Add in last night's 5-0 home loss to the Orioles and the Rays are reeling. This five-game slide dropped the Rays to 51-49 on the year and 3.5 games in back of Boston in the AL East Division race. They are 27-23 at home this season and the total has stayed UNDER in five of their last eight home games on BetAnySports’ closing line.

It should be Jacob Faria’s turn in Tampa Bay’s starting rotation this Tuesday night. The right-hander got tagged with his first loss of the season against four wins his last time out. He allowed four earned runs on six hits in five innings pitched against Oakland last Wednesday. Faria faced the Orioles twice in late June and gave up a combined five earned runs on nine hits in a total of 12 2/3 innings pitched. His current ERA stands at 2.52 with a 1.08 WHIP.

I like Tampa Bay at home on Tuesday night with Faria on the mound. I expect him to bounce right back from last week’s shaky effort with the form that has made him so effective in the majority of his other outings this year.