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Yankees vs Rays Odds and Picks – Montgomery vs Patino (May 11)

John Perrotto

by John Perrotto in MLB Baseball

Updated May 11, 2021 · 3:06 PM PDT

Aaron Judge smacks a grand slam
New York Yankees' Aaron Judge hits a grand slam during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers, Friday, April 30, 2021, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
  • The New York Yankees are -132 road favorites over the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday night at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg
  • Left-hander Jordan Montgomery starts for the Yankees against rookie Luis Patino
  • An analysis of the Yankees-Rays matchup and a prediction can be found below

The New York Yankees will likely have one of their key hitters for the first this season when they visit the Tampa Bay Rays at 7:10 p.m. ET Tuesday in the opener of a three-game series at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg.

First baseman Luke Voit is expected to be activated from the injured list as he has recovered from left knee surgery performed March 29.

Left-hander Jordan Montgomery (1-1, 4.11 ERA) will start for the Yankees against rookie Luis Patino (1-0, 1.17). New York (18-16) has won seven of its last nine games and Tampa Bay (19-17) has won six of its last eight.

Yankees vs Rays Odds

Team Moneyline Runline Total
New York Yankees -132 Over 8 (-109) -1.5 (+125)
Tampa Bay Rays +110 Under 8 (-112) +1.5 (-148)

Odds as of May 11th at DraftKings

Voit Fills Void

Voit gives the Yankees another big bat in the lineup as he led the major leagues with 22 home runs in 56 games during the truncated 2020 season. In his rehab assignment with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Voit went 7 for 18 (.389) with three homers in five games.

Montgomery is coming off a strong start against the Houston Astros last Wednesday, though he did not factor in the decision. Montgomery matched a season high by pitching six innings and allowed three runs and eight hits with no walks and four strikeouts.

It was Montgomery’s second quality start of the season and first since he pitched six scoreless innings to beat the Baltimore Orioles on April 5 in his season debut for his lone win.

Montgomery has struggled against the Rays, going 1-3 with a 5.63 ERA in eight career regular season starts. He also had a no-decision against them in last year’s American League Division Series, yielding one run in four innings.

Montgomery has made just two starts at Tropicana Field and the Rays have scored three runs off him in seven innings. He did not have a decision in either game.

Rays Career Stats vs Montgomery

Player AB H HR RBI K AVG
Randy Arozarena 7 2 2 4 2 .286
Austin Meadows 5 2 0 0 2 .400
Manuel Margot 6 3 1 2 1 .500
Yandy Diaz 7 2 0 2 0 286
Mike Brousseau 5 2 1 2 0 .400
Joey Wendle 4 0 0 0 3 .000
Mike Zunino 2 1 1 2 0 .500
Brett Phillips 2 0 0 0 2 .000
Willy Adames 6 1 0 0 1 ,167

The Rays have struggled offensively in recent days, scoring four runs or fewer in four of their last five games.

Patino Gets the Call

Patino will has made one start and two relief appearances for the Rays this season after being the most notable of four players acquired from the San Diego Padres in the offseason trade for left-hander Blake Snell.

Most likely, the 21-year-old rookie will not be in the game for long as he has worked just 7.2 innings this season. However, he has been effective, allowing three hits and one walk with 10 strikeouts.

Patino might have also carved out a small piece of baseball history.

Patino went 2.2 scoreless and hitless innings in is other start April 25 against the Toronto Blue Jays. He also made one start in 11 games with the Padres last season and worked 1.2 innings, allowing one run, while facing the Seattle Mariners.

MLB Pipeline ranked Patino as the 19th-best prospect in baseball prior to spring training. He was rated No. 23 by Baseball America and No. 25 by Baseball Prospectus.

Patino has already carved out of a small piece in Rays’ history.

Patino will be opposing the Yankees for the first time.

Yankees Career Stats vs. Patino

Player AB H HR RBI K AVG
DJ LeMahieu 0 0 0 0 0 —
Luke Voit 0 0 0 0 0 —
Giancarlo Stanton 0 0 0 0 0 —
Aaron Judge 0 0 0 0 0 —
Gio Urshela 0 0 0 0 0 —
Gleyber Torres 0 0 0 0 0 —
Aaron Hicks 0 0 0 0 0 —
Gary Sanchez 0 0 0 0 0 —
Clint Frazier 0 0 0 0 0 —

In addition to Voit, the Yankees figure to have third baseman Gio Urshela in the lineup. Urshela sat out the three-game weekend series against the Washington Nationals with a sore left knee.

The Yankees have scored four runs or less in four straight games. DJ LeMahieu, though, has reached base multiple times in nine of his last 12 games.

Sunday Best

Both teams were off Monday following wins on Sunday

The Yankees edged the Nationals 3-2 on Sunday on Giancarlo Stanton’s game-ending single off closer Brad Hand in the bottom of the ninth inning. It was the Yankees’ second straight walk-off win.

The Rays notched a 4-3 victory over the Oakland Athletics on the road. Willy Adames hit a three-run home run in the fifth inning then Mike Brosseau’s solo shot in the sixth snapped a 3-3 tie.

The Rays have dominated the series recently, going 18-5 in the last 23 games, including last year’s ALDS. Tampa Bay swept a three-game series in New York from April 16-18.

That dropped the Yankees to 5-10. However, they have won since gone 13-6 and, with Voit coming back, seem poised to carry the momentum over to the matchups with their recent nemesis.

The Pick: Yankees (-132)

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