Yankees vs. Rays Betting Line – Monday July 2
Carrie Stroup here with your Yankees vs. Rays betting line for July 2. Claim up to $350 in FREE CASH when you join here today (restrictions do apply). This game will be shown on ESPN.
Sportsbook.ag Line & Total: Tampa Bay -130 & 8.5 over -120
The Rays have lost six of their past seven games, and will look to right themselves and make up division ground as they host the Yankees for a three-game set starting Monday night.
Freddy Garcia takes the mound for the Yankees, making his first start since April 28. He lost his spot in the rotation for good reason, with a 12.50 ERA and 2.19 WHIP in his four starts. But the Yankees are short on arms with Andy Pettitte (fibula) and CC Sabathia (groin) both landing on the DL in the past week. Overall, including his bullpen efforts, he has a 6.39 ERA and 1.45 WHIP in 2012. He faces phenom Matt Moore who struggled mightily to start the year, but now has a 4.19 ERA and 1.40 WHIP for the season. But, the Yankees mash left-handed starters to the tune of 5.7 runs per game and a .352 on-base percentage, while the Rays are hitting just .235 versus righty starters, averaging 4.3 runs. The Yankees are 15-9 (.625) versus southpaws this season and are also impressive on the road (23-14, .622). Tampa Bay also brings out the best in Garcia, who is 9-2 in his career against them. And even if Garcia can’t go very deep (he averaged fewer than four innings per start so far this season), the Yankees have a superb bullpen that has a 3.10 ERA and 2.35 ERA on the road.
The Yankees enter this game having won seven of their past nine games overall. In 16 career starts versus the Rays, Garcia’s team has prevailed 11 times, earning a 3.33 ERA and 1.19 WHIP in that action. He’s only faced them twice since 2006, but both performances were dominating: 13.2 IP, 12 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 14 K. This includes 6.2 shutout innings against them last July. Garcia has also pitched very well in the bullpen this year, carting a 1.56 ERA in 10 games. And Garcia should be in for good run support, facing Moore, who gave up two long balls and 10 hits in his last start. The Yankees lead the majors in going deep with 124 homers, and are 11-2 in their past 13 road games. And nobody in the majors is hotter than 2B Robinson Cano, who has a .377 BA with 9 HR and 16 RBI in his past 14 contests. Cano has also crushed Tampa Bay in his career with a .323 BA (.382 this season) and 21 HR.
Moore has faced the Yankees once in his short career, throwing five shutout innings last year with 11 strikeouts and just one walk, a dazzling performance. Moore also had a strong month of June, going 3-0 with a 3.16 ERA and 32 K in 31.1 IP. Over the course of the past three seasons, the Rays have owned the Yankees with a 14-7 record at home in Tampa Bay. This season, they have already swept New York while at Tropicana Field.
- Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter
