5* Tampa Bay Rays EV
Many of you think I'm a football capper, but I know more about baseball than I will ever know about football.
1. Baseball is a game that needs to be played everyday. You usually struggle when you take 5 days off in baseball. This isnt football where you need to be fresh to take a pounding and get all of those bruises healed up. You have to be out there swinging the bat every day. Rays had a nice day or two off, thats all they need, and they will be ready to roll here.
2. Rays won the better division, are the better team, and are on fire right now.
3. Hamels is a stud, better than Lester. But the Rays hit Lester well both games, they are hot vs. lefties right now, they are seeing it well. Hamels is a changeup pitcher, and you dont throw changeups to lefties when you are a LHP. Aki, Crawford, Pena, Hinske, etc all bat left-handed and Hamels has no effective out pitch vs. lefties which is why he struggles vs. lefties. Hamels hasnt faced or had to deal with a DH in a long time and I can remember a few instances this year where he got out of jams using the pitcher in the lineup.
4. Kazmir is a stud on lefties, giving up only 7 extra basehits this year to lefties (who bat .198 against him), and when you can neutralize Utley and Howard you have a great chance to beat the Phillies. Utley's average drops nearly 30 points vs. lefties and Howard has never had a chance in hell to hit a lefty and at times he can look downright horrible vs. lefties.
5. Rays bullpen is rested and ready to go. They dont want to drop game 1 at home.
The Red Sox were a team that the Rays had ultimate respect for. Almost like they couldnt believe they were actually going to beat them. While they have respect for the Phillies, I think they will play loose in this game. The home crowd will be rocking and the Phills will have a tough time tonight.
Rays 5
Phillies 2
Many of you think I'm a football capper, but I know more about baseball than I will ever know about football.
1. Baseball is a game that needs to be played everyday. You usually struggle when you take 5 days off in baseball. This isnt football where you need to be fresh to take a pounding and get all of those bruises healed up. You have to be out there swinging the bat every day. Rays had a nice day or two off, thats all they need, and they will be ready to roll here.
2. Rays won the better division, are the better team, and are on fire right now.
3. Hamels is a stud, better than Lester. But the Rays hit Lester well both games, they are hot vs. lefties right now, they are seeing it well. Hamels is a changeup pitcher, and you dont throw changeups to lefties when you are a LHP. Aki, Crawford, Pena, Hinske, etc all bat left-handed and Hamels has no effective out pitch vs. lefties which is why he struggles vs. lefties. Hamels hasnt faced or had to deal with a DH in a long time and I can remember a few instances this year where he got out of jams using the pitcher in the lineup.
4. Kazmir is a stud on lefties, giving up only 7 extra basehits this year to lefties (who bat .198 against him), and when you can neutralize Utley and Howard you have a great chance to beat the Phillies. Utley's average drops nearly 30 points vs. lefties and Howard has never had a chance in hell to hit a lefty and at times he can look downright horrible vs. lefties.
5. Rays bullpen is rested and ready to go. They dont want to drop game 1 at home.
The Red Sox were a team that the Rays had ultimate respect for. Almost like they couldnt believe they were actually going to beat them. While they have respect for the Phillies, I think they will play loose in this game. The home crowd will be rocking and the Phills will have a tough time tonight.
Rays 5
Phillies 2