The Chicago White Sox (8-27) travel to face off against the Tampa Bay Rays (18-18) on Tuesday, May 7th. This game will be played at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg and televised on NBCS. The Rays are coming off a win in their previous game, while the White Sox are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Rays. First pitch is set for 6:50 ET.
White Sox vs Rays
Tampa Bay cruised to an easy 8-2 win over the White Sox in the most recent game of this series. The Rays had a huge 2nd inning, scoring three runs, and added five more in the 5th. As for the White Sox, they scored their only two runs in the 3rd. Heading into the game, the Rays were favored at -169 on the money line.
Chicago got to Tampa Bay starter Tyler Alexander, scoring two earned runs off him in just four innings of work. On the other side, Erasmo Ramirez put together a good outing for the Rays out of the bullpen, getting the win after going two innings and giving up just one hit.
At the plate, the Rays were led by Jonny DeLuca and Harold Ramirez, as they were the only two Tampa Bay hitters to have more than one hit. DeLuca also homered and drove in four runs. Tommy Pham had a two RBI game for the White Sox.
With an overall record of 8-27, the White Sox are 15 games out of the AL Central lead. So far, they have really struggled against other AL Central teams, going 2-18. Chicago is on the road today vs. the Rays and are just 3-15 on the road this year.
Chicago has been the underdog in every game they have played this year, and they are 2-8-1 in terms of series record. The White Sox are 4-12 in day games and 4-15 in night games. They are also 5-12 at home.
Chicago has been a solid bet on the run line this season, going 16-19 overall. They have been especially good at home, going 10-7. They have not been as successful on the road, going just 6-12. The average run margin in their games this season is -2.5 runs per game.
Today’s over/under line of 8 runs for the Chicago White Sox and Tampa Bay Rays is right in line with the season average for the White Sox. The White Sox have played 34.3% of their games with an over/under line of 8 runs, and their games have averaged 8.3 runs per game this season. Their over/under record for the season is 17-17, and their over/under record when the line is set at 8 runs is 4-1.
Michael Soroka Gets The Start For The White Sox
Michael Soroka is still looking for his first win of the season, as he comes into the game with a record of 0-3 and ERA of 6.48. So far, he has made seven starts and has one quality start to his name. Soroka’s ERA is 6.52 on the road, and he has a record of 0-2 away from home. The right-hander most recently faced the Twins on April 30th, where he went 4 1/3 innings, giving up two earned runs, three walks, and two homers. Soroka has not been able to pitch more than five innings in any of his last four outings.
White Sox Offense Breakdown
As a team, the White Sox are averaging just 2.9 runs per game, which is the worst mark in the league. They are also near the bottom of the league in most other offensive categories, including team batting average, on-base percentage, and OPS. One thing to keep an eye on is their home run numbers, as they are 17th in the league in home runs but have three players tied for 2nd on the team with three homers.
Andrew Benintendi comes into the game as the White Sox’s top run producer, with 13 RBIs, but he is hitting just .190 for the season and has gone 3/23 in his last six games. Eloy Jimenez is batting just .220 but does have four homers, which is the best mark on the team.
Tampa Bay is hosting the White Sox today with an even 18-18 record. The Rays have won four straight games, and they will look to keep it going and try to make up some ground in the AL East, where they are six games behind the Orioles. So far, they have gone just 3-4 in divisional games.
At home, the Rays are 12-9 this year compared to 6-9 on the road. As the favorite, Tampa Bay is 13-14 this year and 5-4 as the underdog. Their overall series record is 4-5-2, and they are 5-5 over their last 10 games overall.
The Rays are 14-22 against the run line this season, including an 8-13 mark at home. They have a run differential of -0.9 runs per game overall, but that number is slightly better at home, where they are -0.5. Tampa Bay is 6-9 against the run line on the road, and they have covered the run line in their last game as the favorite.
Through 36 games, the Rays have seen a combined average of 9.1 runs per game. Their over/under record is 21-15, and when the line has been set at 8 runs, they have gone over in seven of nine games. Overall, 52.8% of their games have had higher lines than 8 runs, and their current over streak is at two games.
Zach Eflin Gets The Start For The Rays
Tampa Bay is sending Zach Eflin to the mound today vs. the White Sox, and he is coming off a rough outing vs. the Brewers. In that start, he went 5 2/3 innings, giving up three earned runs, and taking the loss. Eflin has given up at least one homer in each of his last three starts. Overall, he has made seven starts, and opponents are batting .263 this season. Eflin’s record for the year is 1-4, and his ERA is 4.17. Looking at his home/away splits, Eflin has an ERA of 4.94 on the road compared to 3.65 at home.
Rays Offense Breakdown
So far this season, the Rays are averaging 4.1 runs per game, which is 19th in the league. They have been a better offensive team at home, averaging 4.4 runs per game. Overall, they are batting .246 as a team, which is 8th in the league. Tampa Bay’s team on-base percentage of .315 is also 9th in the MLB.
Isaac Paredes and Amed Rosario have been the top two hitters for the Rays this season, with Paredes leading the team with seven homers and Rosario batting .308. Paredes is also 14th in the league with 18 RBIs. Randy Arozarena has five homers this season but is batting just .147. Arozarena has also struggled of late, going 3/17 in his last five games.
White Sox vs Rays Prediction
The best way to play this White Sox vs. Rays matchup is to take the over, with the line sitting at 8 runs. We see this game ending with a 6-5 win for the Rays, giving us a lot of wiggle room on the over/under line.
Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Zach Eflin picking up six strikeouts compared to Michael Soroka finishing the game with just four. However, we do have Soroka going the distance, while Eflin is projected to go just six innings.
As for a money line pick, we would take the Rays if you’re looking for a straight-up winner. However, with a payout of -261, we would recommend sticking with the over.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:May 7, 2024 Rays, White Sox