Tampa Bay Rays at Baltimore Orioles: Baseball Picks

Written April 10, 2009 by Jordan Haimowitz

rays-orioles-preview-041009 The Rays showed great signs of heart and will to start the year as they did all of last. After dropping the opener against The Red Sox, they bounced back to win the next two games at take the opening series of the year at Fenway two games to one. The improbable run the Rays had last year which led to a World Series defeat, is well within reach again. Tampa Bay has one of the best pitching staff’s in baseball. Tonight, they put Andy Sonnanstine on the mound. This is a guy who is not even on the radar when people think of the dangerous arms the Rays have (Kazmir, Shields, Garza). Last year, Andy went 13-9 with a 4.39 ERA. He faced the Orioles two times last year getting a victory and a no decision in those two starts. While people are drooling over Tampa’s staff, what has me intrigued is their lineup. The perfect combination of speed and power is what they posses. Carl Crawford and Jason Bartlett give you great speed, OBP and BA while Carlos Pena, Evan Longoria and free agent signing Pat “The Bat” Burrell give you power heavy sticks. We can’t talk about their great hitting and leave out the stellar defense this team plays. The Rays finished in the top 10 in all major defensive categories last year. The Rays fair EXTREMELY well against Baltimore and today should be no different. A quick look at the MLB odds for today show that the Rays are -123 against the Orioles. Read on for picks and analysis.

The Baltimore Orioles gave the Yankees a great wake up call by taking the three game series at home two games to one. Outfielders Nick Markakis and Adam Jones were superb while second baseman Brian Roberts is off to a fantastic start. Not many critics expect much from this team during the 2009 season. A pitching staff that could compete as a top five worst while their bullpen is spotty as well. The O’s do not have much power in their lineup. The way this team is going to compete to win games is with their speed. Roberts, Jones, Markakis, Itzturis and Felix Pie are all very fast. Tonight they send journeyman pitcher Mark Hendrickson to the mound who went 7-8 with an awful 5.45 ERA last season. However, those are Cy Young numbers compared to his statistics against the Rays. Last season, Henderickson went 0-2 with a ballooned 7.45 ERA in two starts. The Tampa Bay team he faces tonight are a better hitting team then last years. The Orioles might be a spoiler late in the year and they will always be competing night in and night out. Tonight though, don’t expect much of a game. I do not expect the O’s below average starter to last more then four innings. Many people, including the odds makers will be fooled by their early series win over the Yanks. Right now is the time to capitalize on that. The line today is low and the Rays are superior at every facet of the game. As you’ll see in my Hot Notes, they seem to be the better team in the Orioles own ball park. Read below, as you absorb these stats and trends you will fall in love with this game just as I did.

Haimo’s Hot Notes: Wow, we have a BEST BET here. Lock city as the boys in Vegas phrased it. Tampa Bay is 21-5 in their last 26 games against the Orioles. The Rays are also 20-7 in their last 27 Friday games. Hendrickson, the Orioles starter tonight won’t reach over 90 on the gun all night as Crawford and Bartlett will have high OBPs and Pena, Longoria and Burrell will feast. Baltimore are 8-20 in their last 28 home games. That is one of the more embarrassing trends in recent memory. Sonnanstine, The Rays starter, showed last year he is legit. Lets put the foot on the gas pedal and drive this record North as we look to continue our early season MLB success. Rays today folks.

Betting Line: Tampa Bay Rays -126

Jordan’s Pick: Take Tampa Bay Rays -126 (BEST BET)

Documented MLB Record:

6-2 OVERALL

2-0 BEST BET

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