Ride the Rays While They're Red Hot

The Rays are the hottest team in baseball right now, and when a team is riding a seven-game winning streak, I'm not looking for reasons to get cute.

Tampa Bay just put up 10 runs last night, including an eight-run eighth inning that showed just how dangerous this lineup can be when it gets rolling. Now the Rays get another favorable matchup against Mason Barnett.

Barnett is coming off a rough outing against the Reds in which he surrendered five runs and three home runs. His struggles haven't been limited to one bad night, either. His ERA sits at 5.56 for the season, and that's not exactly the number I want to see when he's about to face a lineup that is swinging the bats with confidence.

On the other side, Tampa Bay sends Nick Martinez to the mound, and the numbers couldn't be much more encouraging.

Martinez owns a 2.65 ERA and has shut out the opposition in two of his last three starts. He's also allowed more than two runs just once over his last eight outings. That's the kind of consistency I want when backing a team that is already playing its best baseball of the season.

The Rays have momentum, they're scoring runs, and they're getting quality pitching. That's a pretty good combination when you're looking for a side to back.

Barnett has the opportunity to turn things around, but I'm not betting on a struggling pitcher suddenly finding his form against one of the hottest offenses in baseball.

Tampa Bay is on a roll, and I'm going to ride it until someone gives me a reason not to.

The play: Rays.

Seven straight wins, 10 runs last night and Martinez bringing a 2.65 ERA to the mound? I'll take the red-hot Rays and let them keep rolling.

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