TOM STRYKER’S FREE BASEBALL SELECTION FRIDAY, AUGUST 6TH
#963 TAMPA BAY with Yarbrough (-170) over Baltimore with Means at 7:05 PM EST
With confidence off a home win over the M’s on Wednesday and with a day of rest, the Devil Rays will start their nine-game roadtrip off by knocking off the struggling Orioles. Baltimore dropped its last two games against New York (Yankees) by the combined score of 23-4 and the O’s will have all kinds of trouble in this spot.
Southpaw Ryan Yarbrough will hit the hump for the Rays. In his last start inside the Trop against the BoSox, No. 48 was tapped for five earned runs and four hits in 5.0 innings of work. Yarbrough fanned four, walked one, and failed to earn a decision in Tampa’s 9-5 victory. Ryan will be happy to be on the road. On foreign soil, Yarbrough has been scratched for only 23 earned runs and 55 hits in 59.0 frames. That’s good enough for a 4-1 tally and a 3.51 ERA with a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 40-9.
Left-hander John Means will counter for the home team. Matched up against the Tigers and Nationals in his last two performances, No. 47 was tripped for five earned runs and nine hits in 12.2 innings. Means struck out eight and walked two on his way to a 1-0 record with a 3.55 ERA. Inside Camden Yards, Big John hasn’t been at his best surrendering 14 earned runs and 21 hits in only 25.0 frames. After the math, that equates to a 1-1 tally and a soft 5.04 ERA. Finally, in a start against the Rays back on May 19th, John was jacked for four earned runs and six hits in 6.1 innings. Means served up two home runs and failed to earn a decision in the 9-7 loss to the Rays.
There are a number of powerful team trends that support this Best Bet. Tampa Bay has won 30 of its last 42 in this series, 58 of its last 84 against division foes, 40 of its last 58 as chalk, and 38 of its last 51 checking in off a victory. On the other side of Oriole Park, Baltimore has fallen in 141 of its last 210 priced as a home pup, 99 of its last 139 in the first game of a series, and 40 of its last 56 against AL East opponents.
With only a 1.5-game advantage over the Red Sox in the division standings, the Devil Rays know they can’t afford losses to an AL East foe that is currently 31-games under the .500 mark. Take Tampa Bay with Yarbrough. Thanks and best of luck, Tom.
TOM’S 41-19 MLB GRAND SLAM GAME OF THE WEEK
Stryker posted a 1-2 mark on Thursday cashing with the Steelers in the NFL preseason but posted an 0-2 mark on the diamond. This key release backs a golden arm in a phenomenal spot and one powerful 41-19 trend is there for support. Grab Tom’s MLB Grand Slam Game of the Week for $30.