The Tampa Bay Rays (28-29) travel to face off against the Baltimore Orioles (35-19) on Friday, May 31st. This game will be played at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore and televised on BSSUN. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. First pitch is set for 6:05 CT.
Rays vs Orioles
The Rays’s offense was hot right out of the gates in their most recent game vs. the Athletics, closing out their series with a 6-5 win. After allowing four runs to the Athletics in the top of the third, the Rays responded with two runs of their own. Tampa Bay went on to add another two runs in the 2nd inning.
Jose Siri had a big game for the Rays, going 2/5 with two homers and two RBIs. The Rays really broke things open with a four-run 3rd inning. Tampa Bay’s 3rd inning was all the more impressive, as it came right after the Athletics scored four runs in the top of the 3rd.
Tampa Bay is 28-29 overall and trail the Yankees by 10.5 games in the AL East. The Rays are on a two-game winning streak, and they are 3rd in the AL East standings. So far, they are 9-11 in divisional matchups. Tampa Bay closed out their series vs. the Athletics with two straight wins and are 3-7 over their last 10 games.
At home, the Rays are 17-18 this season, and they are at an even 11-11 on the road. As the underdog, the Rays have an overall record of 10-10 this season, which includes dropping three straight as the underdog. Tampa Bay’s overall series record is 8-8-2, and they have won two straight series on the road.
When the Rays are favored, they are a poor bet on the run line, going just 11-26. But as an underdog, they are a solid 12-8. Their overall run line record is 23-34, and their average run differential is -0.8 runs per game.
Despite the Tampa Bay Rays’ combined run average of 8.7, they have played to the under in 54.4% of their games this season. Their over/under record is 29-27, and when the line has been set at 8.5 runs, they have gone over the total 8 times and under 12 times. Their games have had an average over/under line of 8 runs, and only 10.5% of their games have had higher lines than today’s 8.5-run total.
Aaron Civale Gets The Start For The Rays
Rays starter Aaron Civale is looking to bounce back from a rough outing vs. the Royals, where he gave up 2 earned runs, 4 hits, and a homer in 5 innings of work. In that outing, he finished with a no-decision. Before that, he had given up at least one homer in three straight starts. Civale’s ERA for the season is 5.72, and he has a record of 2-4. Opponents are batting .262 off the right-hander this season. So far, he has made 11 appearances, and his WHIP is 1.34.
Rays Offense Breakdown
So far this season, the Rays offense has been one of the worst in the league, averaging just 3.9 runs per game, which is the worst mark in the league. They have also been one of the worst home run hitting teams in the league and have a team batting average of just .233. However, they do have the league’s 8th leading home run hitter in Isaac Paredes, who is batting .295 overall and has 32 RBIs.
Looking at the Rays recent offensive performances, Jose Siri has gone 5/14 in his last four games with two homers. Siri is also on a three-game hitting streak. As a team, the Rays are hoping that Randy Arozarena can get things going, as he is batting just .159 this season.
The Orioles’s offense was hot right out of the gates in their most recent game vs. the Red Sox, closing out their series with a 6-1 win. After allowing one run to the Red Sox in the top of the 2nd, the Orioles responded with five runs of their own. Baltimore went on to add another run in the 2nd, and closed things out with a 6th-inning score.
Corbin Burnes put together a good start for the Orioles, going seven innings and not giving up a run. He also issued just three hits and issued only three walks. Burnes only had five strikeouts in the outing and got the win.
With their record of 35-19, the Orioles are 2nd in the AL East and trail the Yankees by two games. So far, they have been good against other teams in the AL East, putting up a record of 9-3. The Orioles will host the Rays today, and Tampa Bay is 10.5 games behind the Yankees in the division.
At home, the Orioles are 19-11 this season, and they have gone 16-8 on the road. As the favorite, the Orioles are 28-17 this year, and they are 7-2 as the underdog. Baltimore has won two straight series and has an overall series record of 12-4-2.
When the Orioles win, they do so by an average of 3.7 runs per game. When they lose, they do so by an average of -3.1 runs per game. Their overall run line record is 30-24, and they are 16-14 at home and 14-10 on the road. As the favorite, they are 23-22 vs. the run line, and as the underdog, they are 7-2.
When the Orioles play at home, the over/under line is set at 8.5 runs for their games, and their games have averaged 8.8 runs per game this season. Overall, their over/under record is 27-20, and when the line is set at 8.5 runs, their record is 10-7. So far this season, 25.9% of their games have had over/under lines set at 8.5 runs, while 42.6% of their games have had lower lines.
Albert Suárez Gets The Start For The Orioles
Through 11 appearances and four starts, Albert Suárez has an ERA of 1.53 and a record of 2-0 for the Orioles. He has pitched well at home, coming in with an ERA of 1.8 compared to 0.75 on the road. Suárez has finished with a no-decision in each of his last three outings, where he came out of the bullpen. The right-hander last pitched on May 25th, where he started and went four innings, not giving up a run. In that outing, he gave up two hits, two walks, and didn’t allow a homer. So far, he has allowed just one homer this season.
Orioles Offense Breakdown
Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson have been two of the Orioles’ top power threats this season, with Rutschman’s 10 homers ranking 2nd on the team and Henderson’s 18 long balls leading the MLB. Rutschman is also batting .299 this season, and Henderson comes into the game with a batting average of .258. Ryan Mountcastle has been swinging a hot bat of late, going 13/32 in his last nine games.
Overall, the Orioles are 3rd in the league in scoring at 5 runs per game. They have been especially good at home, averaging 5.1 runs per game. As a team, they are the MLB’s top power-hitting team, with a collective isolated power figure of .192. Baltimore also has the league’s top slugging percentage.
Rays vs Orioles Prediction
Our pick for this Rays vs. Orioles matchup is to go with the Orioles on the money line, with the payout being -148. We have the Orioles winning this one by a score of 5-4.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Albert Suarez is projected to finish with six strikeouts, which is the fourth-best among all starters today. As for Aaron Civale, he is projected to finish with five K’s, which ranks towards the bottom.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:May 31, 2024 Orioles, Rays