June 12 MLB Tampa Bay Chicago Cubs Overseas Baseball Analysis Sports Analysis
-
Editing and deleting posts requires login
The struggling offense of the Tampa Bay Rays, which has led to a four-game losing streak, sees Jack Applin (3 wins, 4 losses, 4.14) aiming for his fourth win of the season. In his return from injury on June 6 against Miami, Applin delivered a disappointing performance with 4 innings, 3 hits, and 2 earned runs, indicating that he is still not in peak condition. However, he has a strong record at home this year, with 2 wins, 1 loss, and a 2.84 ERA, and he needs to leverage his good performance in night games. The Rays' offense, which was only able to score via Alex Jackson's two-run homer in the previous day's game against Burns, is on a serious downturn; even more alarming is that Randy Arozarena and José Siri both hover around a batting average of .100. The bullpen managed to allow just 1 run over 3 innings, which could be a promising matchup against the Cubs' bullpen.
The Chicago Cubs, on the other hand, snapped their losing streak with a stellar performance from Javier Imánaga. Jamison Taillon (3 wins, 2 losses, 3.47) will be looking for his fourth win of the season. Taillon displayed a lackluster outing with 5 earned runs over 5 innings during the home game against the White Sox on June 6. He has recently been struggling away from home while facing difficulties in his home performances. Although he had previously shown strength against Tampa Bay in 2022, the current expectation for Taillon is limited to quality starts. In Monday’s game, the Cubs scored 4 runs early against Montas but wasted every scoring opportunity from the 3rd inning onward, which leaves a sour taste. Their scoring success rate of 2 hits out of 15 at-bats with runners in scoring position is certainly troubling. The bullpen needs to find a way to get through to Hector Neris somehow.
Both teams find themselves in a difficult position regarding their lineups. From Tampa Bay's perspective, they may find the Cubs' pitchers easier to handle than the Baltimore pitching staff, while the Cubs face challenges in their away hitting performances. In terms of the starting pitchers, Applin holds a slight advantage, while the Cubs have shown signs of struggle in hitting at a domed stadium. With the home-field advantage, the Tampa Bay Rays are closer to victory.
Expected score: 4-3, Tampa Bay wins.
Handicap: Chicago Cubs win.
Over/Under: Under.