MLB picks: Rays vs. Yankees, Phillies vs. Reds

An intriguing Tuesday night MLB slate awaits fans and bettors, so we crunched the numbers and came up with our top two selections!

Leading off is an AL East showdown between the Tampa Bay Rays and the New York Yankees. Then we’ll highlight a clash between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Cincinnati Reds.

Tampa Bay Rays (35-20) at New York Yankees (29-25), 7:05 p.m. ET

The Rays’ incredible run (16-1 in their last 17 games) should continue in the Bronx on Tuesday night.

Domingo German will be tasked with facing a Tampa offense that’s averaged seven runs per game over their last 17 contests. He had an outing to forget against the Rays on April 10, allowing four runs in four innings.

Austin Meadows, who’s been huge for Tampa in his last 15 games (.322, five homers, 20 RBI), has three homers off German in only eight prior at-bats.

The Yankees – who have dropped five of their last six while averaging a mere 2.17 runs – will be tasked with facing Rays ace Tyler Glasnow (4-2, 2.57 ERA, 0.93 WHIP). He hushed the Bombers’ bats on April 17, limiting them to one run on two hits in five innings of work.

Once Glasnow departs, he’ll hand things over to a Tampa bullpen that produced a 2.71 ERA in May, good for third in the majors.

MLB pick: Rays -130

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Philadelphia Phillies (25-29) at Cincinnati Reds (24-28), 7:10 p.m. ET

Two slumping squads send their aces to the hill as Aaron Nola and the Phillies visit Sonny Gray and the Reds at Great American Ball Park on Tuesday night. The latter appears to have the edge.

Gray had an outstanding month of May, pitching to a 2.20 ERA over five starts. He has some good numbers against Philly’s best active hitters, with J.T. Realmuto and Jean Segura just 2-for-15 (.133) combined against him. The Phillies are 9-21 in their last 30 games against right-handed starters on the road.

Nola’s May was one of his worst months in recent memory, as he produced a 4.55 ERA in five outings. Even when in the midst of a quality start last time out against the Miami Marlins (six innings, one earned run), it looked like Nola was laboring as he allowed three walks and struck out just six.

He’ll have to pitch carefully to Nick Castellanos, who has a 1.151 OPS over the last two weeks.

Over bettors should note that these bullpens have pitched disastrously of late, sporting ERAs above 6.00 over the last 14 days. But the better bet is the Reds, who are offering good value at home.

MLB pick: Reds -108