MLB Betting Picks: Athletics vs. Rays Odds & Predictions: May 18th 2009

Oakland Athletics vs. Tampa Bay Rays
Free Pick: Tampa Bay Rays (-140)
Mon May 18th 2009 7:05p - MLB Odds
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Oakland’s struggles with its pitching staff have caused plenty of shuffling in the rotation. Today, RHP Sean Gallagher will take the hill for his second start of the young season. His numbers have never been anything to write home about, but the most startling stat about the 23-year old is that opposing batters are hitting .360 against him this season. In his only other start this year, Gallagher allowed a whopping ten hits over five innings, allowing three runs in Oakland’s 6-4 loss to Toronto on May 9th. Historically, he has been an awful pitcher away from home, as he is 0-7 with a 7.07 ERA and 1.85 WHIP for his career in 17 road appearances (11 starts). That doesn’t bode well for a team that just got finished allowing 34 runs in three days in Detroit.

RHP Jeff Niemann still isn’t getting much in the way of respect from the oddsmakers. He isn’t going to be pitching deep into games, as he hasn’t completed more than six innings of work once in his young career, but those innings that he is throwing are becoming more and more effective as the season wears on. He allowed two runs in five innings to get the ‘W’ in his last outing at Camden Yards, which exorcized the demons of allowing five runs before recording an out in his first start of the season there. The biggest bugaboo on Niemann has been his K/BB ratio, which is less than 1.00. This will be the big right-hander’s third start at home this season, but it will clearly be a much easier task than facing the White Sox and Red Sox.

History will tell you that Gallagher has been a total gas can, and that trend shouldn’t buck tonight. Since the Rays came back from behind 7-0 to beat the Indians on Friday night, everything seems to be kicking just right. Expect to see Tampa Bay’s winning streak stretch to four games tonight at the expense of the slumping A’s.