FINNs AMERICAN LEAGUE RUN LINE ROUT - Tampa Bay Rays -1.5 (-118) | List Civale and Cannon || The run line position in this Junior Circuit matchup is good with Tampa -1.5 runs with juice of -130 or better || 2% game rating || Starting Pitchers: List Civale and Cannon || Home Plate Umpire: Marvin Hudson is a veteran umpire that will be on Guaranteed Rate Field tonight working his 499th career home plate assignment. Hudson grades out as neutral when he is working the plate. || Weather: The forecast for the Southside of the Windy City calls for first-pitch temperatures in the mid-70s. The forecast calls for no rain but a stiff breeze at 10-15 mph blowing towards home plate from right-centerfield.
Rays' righthander Aaron Civale dropped his second game of the young season in a 5-4 loss to the Yankees this past Sunday. He was handcuffed with missed calls by home plate umpire John Libka and ended his Sunday start with one bad inning. The one poor inning by Civale is an outlier. If there is one pitcher in Major League Baseball who is prepared for game night and understands relationships it is Aaron Civale. Having one's arms wrapped around the relationship between catcher, pitcher, and home plate umpire is critical to success.
Civale has improved his Whiff Rate, added a Sweeper to his arsenal, and joined the ranks of the new breed of MLB pitchers and how they go about their work. The four-seam fastball is slowly but certainly becoming a secondary piece of a pitcher's arsenal, even those who lived, breathed, and branded themselves as fireballers who throw hard, and if you don't succeed throw harder, and harder, again and again. Everything that Civale has done and is doing with the Tampa pitching coaches is for the greater good. That “good” being for Civale long-term and this season for the Rays. Civale won't just be reborn at season's end he will be new and improved. That shines through today in a matchup against arguably the least efficient offense in baseball.