However bad your week is going, it can’t possibly be worse than what the Tampa Bay Rays are experiencing.
After seeing their season-high six-game winning streak end with Sunday’s 2-1 loss at Seattle, the Rays headed to southern California to face the Angels and got boat-raced by a combined score of 23-3 on Monday and Tuesday. If that wasn’t bad enough, Tuesday’s game ended with Tampa Bay on the wrong side of this bit of history:
But wait, there’s more: After producing four runs in their last three games, the Rays’ hitters on Wednesday get to face … Shohei Ohtani, who has allowed all of two runs and 12 hits in his last three starts.
Surprisingly, bookmakers don’t believe Wednesday’s series finale is a lost cause for Tampa, as Rays vs Angels odds show Ohtani as a modest home favorite. Can the Rays get off the canvas and end their 10-game road trip with a bang? Or will Ohtani, Mike Trout and the smoldering Angels complete the sweep?
Props.com breaks down Rays vs Angels odds for one of MLB’s two marquee matchups for Wednesday.
Odds via PointsBet USA and updated as of 4:15 p.m. ET on May 11.
Tampa Bay Rays (18-13) vs Los Angeles Angels (21-11)
First Pitch/TV: 7:07 p.m./FS1 & MLB.TV
Moneyline: Angels -121/Rays +100
Runline: Angels -1.5 (+175)/Rays +1.5 (-216)
Total: 6.5 (Over -121/Under +100)
Pitching matchup: LHP Shane McClanahan (2-2, 3.06 ERA, 0.99 WHIP) vs. RHP Shohei Ohtani (3-2, 3.08 ERA, 1.03 WHIP)
Season series: Los Angeles leads 2-0
Did you know: Prior to this week, Tampa Bay had been on a 27-14 roll against the Angels, winning 16 of 20 meetings in Anaheim. Los Angeles hasn’t defeated the Rays three straight times since July 5-7, 2016.
About the Rays
Hits & Misses: Tampa could not solve Angels left-hander Reid Detmers on Tuesday, producing just two baserunners — on a sixth-inning walk and seventh-inning fielding error. The 22-year-old Detmers was making just his 11th big league start. It was the first time the Rays were on the wrong end of a no-hitter since 2012, when Seattle’s Felix Hernandez threw a perfect game. Tampa has just four runs and 15 hits in its last three games. That’s in stark contrast to the 39 runs the team scored during a six-game winning streak that started the road trip. The Rays remain in second place in the AL East, but they began the day four games behind the Yankees (and one ahead of Toronto).
On the Mound: McClanahan tossed 4.1 shutout innings in his season debut April 8. In five starts since, he’s given up either two or three runs. He’s also pitched at least five innings in his last four outings. Most recently, the southpaw gave up two runs, three hits and two walks with five strikeouts in 5.1 innings at Seattle, earning a 4-3 victory. McClanahan, who hasn’t thrown more than 90 pitches in any start, sports a sparkling 47-9 K/BB ratio across 32.1 innings. His only two starts against the Angels were last year, and he went 1-0 with a 2.70 ERA (three runs, six hits, four walks, 12 strikeouts in 10 innings).
Key injuries: OF Manuel Margot — who is batting .337 with three home runs and 20 RBI, and was named the AL Player of the Week last week — sat out Tuesday with a hamstring injury. He’s questionable for Wednesday. The Rays have 10 pitchers indefinitely on the injured list, but aside from Margot, their position players are healthy.
About the Angels
Hits & Misses: Detmers needed just 108 pitches to complete the 12th no-hitter in Angels history, and he did it with only two strikeouts. The 32nd-round 2020 draft pick from the University of Illinois was staked to an 8-0 lead after three innings. Trout hit two of the Angels’ four home runs, and he now leads MLB with a 1.183 OPS. Trout’s second homer, as well as blasts by Anthony Rendon and Chad Wallach, came in the ninth inning off Rays infielder-turned-pitcher Brett Phillips. The Halos have won three in a row and six of seven. They continue to lead the AL West by one game over Houston.
On the Mound: Ohtani is coming off his third straight dominant performance on the mound. Facing the Red Sox at Fenway Park on Thursday, the reigning AL MVP scattered six hits, walked none and struck out 11 over a season-high seven innings in an 8-0 whitewash. Since getting blasted for six runs in 3.2 innings at Texas on April 14, Ohtani is 3-0 with a 1.00 ERA. During this stretch, he’s allowed just two runs on 12 hits and two walks while fanning 27 in 18 innings. Ohtani has owned Tampa Bay in his career — both on the mound and at the plate. In two starts, he’s surrendered a combined two runs with 16 strikeouts in 12.2 innings. Offensively, he’s batting .417 against the Rays with eight homers and 19 RBI. Two of those homers, including his first career grand slam, came in Monday’s 11-3 victory.
Key injuries: Two catchers — Kurt Suzuki (undisclosed) and Max Stassi (COVID list) — are out, and SS David Fletcher (groin) remains on the IL. Also, 2B Tyler Wade (hamstring) has missed the last two games and is questionable.
Notable Trends
- TB had won eight straight road games prior to losing the last three in a row
- TB is 3-7 in its last 10 as an underdog
- LAA is on positive runs of 20-8 overall, 9-1 at home, 16-5 as a favorite and 7-1 vs. left-handed SPs
- Over is 4-1-1 in TB’s last six overall (all on the road)
- Over is 3-0-1 in LAA’s last four overall (all at home)
- Under is 5-1-2 in McClanahan’s last eight starts
- Under is 4-2-1 in Ohtani’s last seven starts overall and 4-1 in his last five at home
Rays Vs Angels Odds and Action
UPDATE 4:15 P.M. ET: PointsBet opened the Angels as a -125 home favorite Tuesday evening, with Tampa Bay at +105. The moneyline has since moved to as low as -120 and as high as -130, stopping at the opening number several times. It’s currently Angels -121/Rays +100, with 75% of the wagers and 77% of the cash on Ohtani and the home team.
The total opened at 7/Over -120, but several juice adjustments to the Under followed, reaching as low as 7/Under -130 as of 40 minutes ago. Moments later, though, PointsBet dropped the total to 6.5/Over -120, and it’s now 6.5/Over -115. There’s been two-way action on the total, with 70% of all wagers on the Over but 74% of the money on the Under.
