ODDS ANALYSIS
After posting one of the better road records in MLB for much of the season, the Rangers have struggled recently and continue their seven-game road trip after dropping two of three in Toronto over the weekend. Winners in just four of their last 12 away games, the Rangers fell to 23-19 on the road with Sunday’s 3-2 loss to the Blue Jays but remain the most profitable road team in MLB, up 16.13 units on the moneyline.
The Rangers had won six straight games started by Wandy Rodriguez until falling in his last outing and they are 6-1 in his seven road starts.
The O’s seek to carry over their dominance of the Rangers from last season when they meet for the first time in 2015. Baltimore won six of seven games in 2014, and went 4-0 when facing Texas at Camden Yards. The O’s have won each of their last seven series by sweeping Cleveland over the weekend and are 17-5 in that stretch. As good as Texas is on the road, the O’s are better at home, going 27-14 this season, up 10.23 units on the moneyline. The O’s cashed the over in each of Bud Norris’ four home starts.
PITCHING MATCHUP
Wandy Rodriguez (4-3, 4.06 ERA) was lit up for eight runs in four innings by the Athletics on Wednesday. It was the first time he allowed more than five runs in a start, and he had given up three earned runs or fewer in each of his previous six outings. Rodriguez is 4-0 with a 2.28 ERA in his seven road starts.
Rodriguez lasted only 1.2 innings in his last start against the O’s, giving up seven hits and six runs, only one of which was earned however, on May 21, 2014.
Bud Norris (2-6, 6.70 ERA) faced just one batter over the minimum through the first five innings of Wednesday’s game, but a pair of errors led to a five-run sixth inning. He exited after allowing five unearned runs on seven hits over 5.2 innings. It was shaping up to be his best outing of the season, but his error led to the downfall.
Despite his undefeated record against the Rangers (2-0), Norris has struggled in two career starts against them with a 5.91 ERA in 10.2 frames.
QUOTE TO NOTE
“We have our ups and down. We started off real slow. We had players injured. We’re just getting back into it. Everybody’s starting to get healthy. It’s good to have everybody back on the field, giving their all. It’s just the midway point. We’ve got to keep playing baseball. There’s a lot more baseball going ahead, more slumps, more games lost.” – Manny Machado after the Orioles won six of their last seven games.
LIVE BETTING or SITUATIONAL BETTING
Baltimore’s recent impressive run was accomplished without the team’s best player. Center fielder Adam Jones returned to the lineup for the opener of Sunday’s doubleheader against the Indians, his first action since June 20. Jones’ hadn’t played in the field since June 15 with soreness in his right shoulder and it’s hard to imagine the O’s playing as well as they have for too much longer without their All-Star. Jones said he has no limitations physically and was anxious to get back on the field. He was hitless in the first game Sunday and not in the starting lineup for the nightcap. Jones is batting .298 with 10 home runs and 36 RBIs this season and had missed just five games in the previous three seasons.
PROP TALK
J.J. Hardy isn’t having his most productive season in 2015, having missed time with injuries earlier in the year. Hardy is batting only .244 this season, but has seemingly overcome his oblique injury from earlier and is hitting .312 during the month of June. He can improve on those numbers against a hurler he’s had plenty of success against. Hardy has seven hits in 24 at-bats in his career against Rodriguez, with six of those going for extra bases. He has four doubles and two home runs with three RBIs for a 1.054 OPS. Hardy broke a 34-game homerless drought taking Cory Kluber deep on Friday and has hit better than 20 homers five times in his career.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
The Orioles are putting the pieces together and with Adam Jones’ shoulder feeling better and avoiding a trip to the DL, the O’s are surging to the top of the AL East. A troubling pitching staff put them in a deep hole early in the year and Bud Norris was part of that. But if the Orioles can get Ubaldo Jimenez and Chris Tillman straightened out, there’s no reason to believe Norris can’t revert to last season’s form. The Rangers’ bubble burst and they’re sinking back into the pack in the AL West.
Baltimore 6, Texas 4
The MLB odds for this game will be available first at BookMaker Sportsbook. BookMaker is going to have multiple betting options available for this nationally-televised baseball matchup. Live wagering during commercials offers an adjusted moneyline, individual inning run totals and next hitter results. Log in and start gambling during the game now!
Load your betting bankroll from your smartphone with BookMaker’s new cashier feature! Depositing and withdrawing funds from your account has never been easier. BookMaker's live betting platform means you always have access to odds and lines to every sporting event. Click here and start wagering today! First pitch for the game between the Texas Rangers and Baltimore Orioles is scheduled for Monday, June 29, 2015, at 7:05 p.m. ET at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The matchup can be seen live on ESPN.
