The Tampa Bay Rays (37-39) travel to face off against the Pittsburgh Pirates (36-39) on Saturday, June 22nd. This game will be played at PNC Park in Pittsburgh and televised on BSSUN. The Rays are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Pirates are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Rays. First pitch is set for 3:05 CT.
Rays vs Pirates
Tampa Bay cruised to a 10-3 win over the Pirates in the most recent game of this series. The Rays had a huge 4th inning, scoring eight of their ten runs. As for the Pirates, they scored their only three runs in the 8th. Heading into the game, the Rays were favored at -131.
Ryan Pepiot got the start for the Rays, going just 3 1/3 innings while giving up two runs and striking out three. He did not factor into the decision, as Colin Poche got the win out of the bullpen. Carmen Mlodzinski had a rough outing for the Pirates, giving up one earned run in just 1 2/3 innings of work.
Josh Lowe and Ben Rortvedt each homered for the Rays, while Jose Siri scored three times and drove in three runs while going 3/4. Yandy Diaz also had a two-hit game and drove in a run.
The Rays are on a three-game winning streak, and they are 37-39 overall this season. In the AL East, they trail the Yankees by 13 games. So far, they have gone just 10-17 in AL East matchups. Tampa Bay opened this series with a win over the Pirates.
At home, the Rays are 19-23 this year, and they are three games above .500 at 18-16 on the road. As the favorite, the Rays are 22-20 and 15-19 as the underdog. Tampa Bay’s overall series record is 11-11-2, and they are 6-4 over their last 10 games.
The Rays have been a solid bet against the run line on the road this season, going 20-14. They have covered the run line in five straight road games and have an average run margin of -0.6 away from home. Overall, they are 33-43 against the run line, with an average run margin of -0.8.
When the Tampa Bay Rays are on the road, the over/under line is set at 8.5 runs. This season, the Rays’ games have averaged 8.9 runs per game. Overall, Tampa Bay’s over/under record is 40-34, and when the line is set at 8.5 runs, their record is 12-12. The over has hit in two straight games for the Rays.
Zach Eflin Gets The Start For The Rays
Zach Eflin gets the start for the Rays today as he faces the Pirates on the road. So far this season, he has made 13 starts and has a record of 3-4 with an ERA of 4.12. Eflin’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.17. One of his biggest issues this year has been the home run ball, as he has allowed 11 homers. Eflin has made four quality starts this year and is coming off an outing in which he allowed three earned runs in 5 2/3 innings of work. In that outing, he gave up one homer. He has finished with a no-decision in each of his last three starts.
Rays Offense Breakdown
Yandy Diaz has been on a tear of late for the Rays, going 15/45 (.333) over his last 10 games. This includes a current 14-game hitting streak. Diaz is 2nd on the team in RBIs and has gone deep five times this season. Isaac Paredes has also been a bright spot in the lineup, batting .285 for the season with a team-high 11 homers and 39 RBIs.
As a team, the Rays are batting just .235, which is 15th in the league. They are also near the bottom of the league in home runs and runs per game. However, they have been a bit better on the road this season, averaging 4.4 runs per contest.
Pittsburgh is 36-39 overall heading into their matchup vs. the Rays, and they are 7.5 games behind the Brewers in the NL Central. So far, they have gone just 10-10 in divisional matchups. The Pirates are looking to bounce back after dropping the first game of the series vs. the Rays.
At home, the Pirates are 18-19 this year compared to an 18-20 mark on the road. As the underdog, Pittsburgh is 22-22 this year, and they are 14-17 when favored. Looking at their overall series record, the Pirates are 10-10-4 and have won two straight series.
When the Pirates win, they win big, with an average run margin of 3.0 runs per game. When they lose, it’s by an average of 3.6 runs per game. Overall, they are 41-34 against the run line, and they have been a better bet on the run line on the road (22-16) than at home (19-18).
The Pirates have played to an over/under record of 36-38 this season, with their games averaging 8.5 runs per game. When the over/under line is set at 8.5 runs, their record is 13-10. In 56% of their games, the line has been set lower than 8.5 runs, and in 13.3% of their games, the line has been set higher than 8.5 runs.
Jared Jones Gets The Start For The Pirates
Jared Jones will be looking to bounce back from a rough outing vs. the Rockies, as he gets the start for the Pirates today. Against the Rockies, he gave up six earned runs in 4 2/3 innings of work, taking the loss. Looking back over his last four starts, Jones has finished with a decision in each outing, going 1-2 with a no-decision. His ERA for the season is 3.76, along with a record of 4-6. Opposing batters are hitting .224 this season off Jones. In 14 appearances, he has turned in eight quality starts and is averaging 9.68 strikeouts per nine innings.
Pirates Offense Breakdown
So far this season, the Pirates offense is averaging just 4 runs per game, which is 23rd in the league. They have been even worse at home, averaging only 3.8 runs per contest. As a team, the Pirates are batting just .229, and their team on-base percentage of .298 is also among the league’s worst. However, they do have two hitters in Bryan Reynolds and Andrew McCutchen who have double-digit home runs and have been swinging the bat well of late.
Over his last 10 games, Bryan Reynolds has gone 13/39 with three homers and six RBIs. He is currently on an 18-game hitting streak and is batting .272 for the season. McCutchen comes into the game with 10 homers but is batting just .242 for the season.
Rays vs Pirates Prediction
Our prediction for this Rays vs. Pirates matchup is to take the Rays on the money line, with the payout sitting at -107. We have the Rays coming out ahead by a score of 5-4, giving us some wiggle room if you wanted to take the Rays on the run line.
Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Zach Eflin finishing with six strikeouts, which would have him as the seventh-best among starters. As for Jared Jones, we have him finishing with five K’s, which would have him down in 18th.
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:June 24, 2024 Pirates, Rays