Stephen Nover Free Sunday Play

On May 29, 2016, in Free Picks, MLB, by Stephen

Yankees minus $1.05 at Rays

You can count on one hand how many pitchers throw harder than Nathan Eovaldi. He’s never been a consistent winner, though. However, that is changing now that he’s mixing his velocity becoming more pitcher than thrower while improving his splitter pitch.

Eovaldi also is aided mentally knowing he doesn’t have to hold back. He can go all out for six innings because the Yankees have the best trio of relievers in baseball to pitch the seventh, eighth and ninth innings with Dellin Betances, Andrew Miller and Aroldis Chapman.

All three of those stud relief pitchers are fresh since none of them pitched on Saturday when the Yankees were blown out by the Rays thanks to another terrible outing by Michael Pineda. Eovaldi is going through his best stretch posting a 2.16 ERA in his last four starts. New York is 9-2 in Eovaldi’s last 11 road starts.

The Yankees are going against righty Jake Odorizzi, who has been wild his last two starts walking seven in 10 innings and has a 4.09 daytime ERA. Odorizzi has a 5.40 career ERA in eight starts against the Yankees. He hasn’t pitched at Tropicana Field since May 13 when he allowed five runs – including three homers – in just four innings during a 6-3 loss to Oakland.

The Yankees have won their last five games when facing a righty starter. They also have captured six of their past seven road matchups.

Tampa Bay is three games under .500 at home and has lost six of its last eight games. The Rays are down a pair of underrated players with infielder Logan Forsythe and outfielder Kevin Kiermaier both on the DL.

 

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