Few teams in baseball can match the Rays (67-46) when it comes to mental toughness. Down to their last out, the AL East leaders rallied back to earn a 9-7 win over the Rockies (45-69) on Tuesday. It marked Tampa Bay\u2019s fifth victory over its last seven games, each one needed to stave off the second place Yankees. What should bettors expect on Wednesday afternoon in Denver?<\/p>\n
The Rays are favorites (-154)<\/a> over the Rockies, with the over\/under set at 11.5 runs<\/a>. Below, I\u2019ve laid out my preview, prediction, and best bet for Wednesday\u2019s showdown between Tampa Bay and Colorado on DraftKings Sportsbook<\/a>.<\/p>\n Rays vs. Rockies pick, best bet today<\/p>\n Rays vs. Rockies under 11.5 runs (-115)<\/a>: Martinez and Sugano, if nothing else, excel at limiting walks. The former\u2019s home run suppression should come in handy this afternoon as well. Given Wednesday\u2019s massive total, the under is worth a wager in this one.<\/p>\n Rays vs. Rockies prediction, preview<\/p>\n Tampa Bay might not be the flashiest team, but there\u2019s something about this squad that makes it difficult to beat. A loaded pitching staff certainly helps. Nick Martinez isn\u2019t a household name, but the first-time All-Star is in the midst of a career-best campaign. Over 123.1 innings (21 starts), the 36-year-old owns a 2.77 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 69 strikeouts (5.0 K\/9). Despite a lack of whiffs, the veteran makes up for it with an MLB-best 1.5 BB\/9 ratio. The 36-year-old has also done a good job when it comes to keeping the ball inside of the park (1.1 HR\/9). <\/p>\n With all that being said, toeing the slab at Coors Field is never easy. Balls can fly in a hurry at this hitters\u2019 paradise. The Rockies are proof of that, performing better at home (5.28 runs per game) than on the road (4.84). The leading man in Denver is Hunter Goodman, arguably the game\u2019s best catcher. The backstop has slugged a National League-best 33 home runs to go with a .255\/.323\/.548 slash line this season. Unlike last year, he\u2019s had some help as well. Outfielders Cole Carrigg (132 wRC+), Mickey Moniak (124 wRC+) and Jake McCarthy (110 wRC+) have helped out offensively. With that being said, Colorado has the tenth-worst OPS at home against left-handed pitching (.696).<\/p>\n The Rockies will counter Martinez with an unorthodox hurler of their own. Tomoyuki Sugano is having what can only be described as a fascinating season. Through 102.2 innings (19 starts), he\u2019s recorded a 4.47 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 58 strikeouts (5.1 K\/9). What makes this stat line such an anomaly is that the 36-year-old has been far better at home (3.78 ERA) than he has on the road (5.13 ERA). To boot, Sugano\u2019s peripherals suggest he\u2019s due for negative regression. The Japanese hurler is near the bottom of the league in most advanced metrics. However, he ranks inside the 90th percentile among qualified starters in walk rate (5.6%).<\/p>\n Tampa Bay, for all its winning ways, doesn\u2019t fit the profile of a high-powered offense. The team is 15th in runs scored (506) and 24th in home runs (115). Sugano has a knack for allowing big hits to opponents, as evidenced by his 1.8 HR\/9 ratio. While Tampa Bay does a good job of putting bat on ball, the quality of contact leaves plenty to be desired. Tampa Bay has recorded an MLB-worst 5.8% barrel rate, in addition to the league\u2019s third-lowest hard-hit rate (34.9%). Granted, this is a difficult lineup to fade at the moment. They tallied a combined 22 runs during the first two games of this series. Still, Sugano is the only Rockies pitcher capable of keeping this group in check.<\/p>\n