Summer baseball can be brutal when you’re out of the race. For the St. Louis Cardinals and the Tampa Bay Rays, the playoff hopes have ended. But for many of the players on these teams, there is a lot left to play for.
The Rays are a -126 moneyline favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook. The over/under is set at nine runs. Let’s dig into a preview, prediction and best bet for this Rays vs. Cardinals game.
Rays vs. Cardinals prediction, preview
Former Rays first-round pick Matthew Liberatore takes the mound for the Cardinals in this one. And the Tampa Bay batters will be glad to see him.
In four years with St. Louis, Liberatore pitched to a 4.64 ERA over 304.1 innings. Though he has a good changeup, he can’t miss bats consistently, and the fastball is getting crushed. His strikeout rate, average exit velocity and expected batting average are all in the lowest quartile amongst starting pitchers. Facing a Tampa Bay lineup with some sweet-swinging right-handers, this smells like a trouble spot for Liberatore.
Ryan Pepiot isn’t faring much better for the Rays. The 28-year-old right-hander has given up 17 earned runs across his last four starts, surrendering five home runs in 21.1 innings. Pepiot’s breaking balls are getting crushed left and right, threatening to turn an OK season into a disappointing one. The Cardinals’ offense isn’t the most intimidating, but they can hit for power. Unless he can keep balls in the park, it projects to be a long night for Pepiot.
It’s a high total in this one, with nine runs being the mark to beat. But I feel strongly that both of these starters are in for a rough night. Trust these offenses to produce at George Steinbrenner Field.
