Guardians vs. Rays (July 30): Struggling Rays look for boost from bats, Kluber

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Guardians vs. Rays (July 30): Struggling Rays look for boost from bats, Kluber cover

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Saturday's MLB slate starts with an intriguing matchup as the Cleveland Guardians and Tampa Bay Rays continue their series at Tropicana Field.

In Friday's series opener, Shane Bieber was outstanding, allowing one run and striking out eight in seven innings as Cleveland recorded a 4-1 win over Tampa Bay.

Bieber is one of five Cleveland pitchers who have won the AL Cy Young Award, having done so in 2020. The other active member of that group will be taking the mound for the Rays in this matchup, as Corey Kluber gets the start opposite Zach Plesac for the Guardians.

Cleveland Guardians vs. Tampa Bay Rays Matchup Information and Betting Odds

Matchup Information

Matchup: Cleveland Guardians (51-48, 26-29 away, 2nd in the AL Central) vs. Tampa Bay Rays (53-47, 31-19 home, 3rd in the AL East)
Venue & Location: Tropicana Field (St. Petersburg, Florida)
Date: Saturday, July 30, 2022
Game Time: 1:10 p.m. Eastern Time
Guardians vs. Rays TV Info: MLB Network

Guardians vs. Rays Pitching Matchup

Cleveland Guardians: Zach Plesac (2022: 18 starts, 2-8, 4.09 ERA)
Tampa Bay Rays: Corey Kluber (2022: 19 starts, 6-6, 3.91 ERA)

Guardians vs. Rays Odds

Game odds are via BetOnline. This article may also include odds from other top online sports betting sites that we have reviewed and recommend.

Moneyline

Cleveland Guardians +108
Tampa Bay Rays -126

Over/Under

Over 7.5 (-110)
Under 7.5 (-110)

Run Line

Cleveland Guardians +1.5 (-196)
Tampa Bay Rays -1.5 (+162)

Will Tampa's Inconsistent Bats Help or Hurt Kluber in Quest to Capture Win over Former Club?

Friday's loss continued the Rays' poor start to the second half of the season.

After losing two of three at Kansas City and dropping three of four at Baltimore, Tampa Bay is staring at a third straight series loss.

Not getting enough at the plate is a big reason for their current struggles.

In their two wins in the second half, they have scored 13 runs. In their six losses, they have scored just ten runs total.

The kind of run support they give Kluber is likely to tell the tale for today's game against the Guardians.

When Kluber starts and the Rays score three or more runs, the team has won 10 of 12 games. But when they have scored fewer than three runs in a Kluber start, they have lost all seven games.

A productive day at the plate and a win to go with it could be in the cards for Tampa Bay if trends play out as they have most frequently.

Of the seven times that the Rays have scored five or more runs in a Kluber start this season, five have come at home. All five times have been in wins, and four of the five wins are by 2+ runs.

And Kluber's home splits line up very well for the Rays relative to Plesac's road splits for the Guardians.

Season Splits for Corey Kluber & Zach Plesac

Corey Kluber at home (nine starts): 4-1, 3.42 ERA, 50 IP, 45 H, 19 R (19 ER), 5 HR, 8 BB, 48 K, .245 OBA
Zach Plesac on the road (ten starts): 1-6, 4.97 ERA, 54.1 IP, 52 H, 32 R (30 ER), 6 HR, 15 BB, 41 K, .241 OBA

In Plesac's last four road starts, Cleveland has scored just three runs. He hasn't pitched horribly in that stretch, compiling a 4.09 ERA with two quality starts. But with that lack of run support, the margin for error is miniscule.