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Posted at 11:15 AM EST.

1:10 PM EST. Cole Hamels (LHP) has found a lot of swing-and-misses in his approach in the early part of 2018 with 12.9 K’s/9 and a 15% swing and miss rate in 22 innings. With a fastball that barely reaches 90 mph now, it's unlikely he'll be able to rely on his off-speed stuff to get as many whiffs as he is getting now but there is some buy-low value here, as his 4.50 ERA and 1.55 WHIP are the direct result of a 35% hit rate and 39% hr/f rate. Hamels has 30 K’s in those 22 frames and will face a Rays’ lineup that looks minor-league-ish.

Tampa’s 27th ranked offense gets worse with the loss of Kevin Kiermaier, who is listed as day-to-day with a right thumb sprain, caused while sliding headfirst into 2B on April 15 but the signs are certainly looming for a trip to the disabled list. The Rays have a mere four wins in 17 games and two wins at home in nine games with its offense struggling miserably but especially so at The Trop.

Jake Faria (RHP) is rated well under water for this start against Texas. Faria is coming off a decent start (and that turn was on the heels of back-to-back disasters against the Red Sox). The Rangers hit fly-ball pitchers well last season and are coming off a 7-2 win last night in the opener of this series. When we last visited Jake Faria (last season), we noted that there were "reasons to question his success." In the second half, the right-hander threw fewer first-pitch strikes, issued more walks, and posted a 4.14 ERA and 1.34 WHIP but things are so much worse this year. Faria has walked 10 batters, struck out nine and comes in with x7.14 xERA after 11 innings. Hitters are on his fastball, to the tune of an .865 OPS and if he can’t throw his off-speed junk for strikes, which he has never proven he can, more of the same weak results are on the way. Cole Hamels is going to wake up today, eat breakfast and eventually take the bus from the hotel to the park. He’ll also look at the game price or line and get very insulted that Faria is favored over him and he should be. Act accordingly.

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