The Mariners (78-61, 39-32 away) travel to take on the Rays (85-55, 47-24 home) in game one of this American League matchup. Luis Castillo is getting the start for the Mariners while Zack Littell is starting for the Rays. See who I like to pick up the win in today’s Seattle Mariners vs. Tampa Bay Rays showdown at Tropicana Field.

SEATTLE MARINERS VS TAMPA BAY RAYS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Tampa Bay Rays +111

This game will be played at Tropicana Field at 6:40 ET on Thursday, September 7th.

WHY BET THE TAMPA BAY RAYS:

  • The Mariners have gone just 2-3 in their last five games.
  • So far this year, the Rays lead the season series against the Mariners 1-2.
  • The Rays are 2-1 in Zack Littell’s last three starts.

CAN THE SEATTLE MARINERS PULL OUT A WIN AS ROAD FAVORITES?

On a record of 78-61, the Mariners come into today’s game 2nd in the AL West. When playing at home, they are 39-29 and 39-32 on the road. Seattle has played in 44 series thus far, and have gone 24-18-2.

Luis Castillo has had a successful season thus far, boasting an 11-7 record and 3.19 ERA. On the road, he has gone 4-4 with an ERA of 4.25, while at home he is 7-3 with a 2.61 ERA. His WHIP stands at 1.03, and opponents are batting just .211 against him with a slugging percentage of .387.

Luis Castillo’s last outing saw him surrender eight hits over five innings, resulting in five earned runs. Despite not being credited with the win, the Mariners emerged victorious 8-7 over the Mets.

Offensively, Seattle is ranked 11th in the league with an average of 4.8 runs per game. When looking over their last five matchups, the Mariners averaged 5.6 runs per contest, which is 10th best in that span. In terms of their power numbers, Seattle is 9th in all of baseball, with a total of 187 home runs.

Hernández has been a key contributor to Seattle’s offense this season, boasting a .269 batting average and .466 slugging percentage. He has been particularly impressive in the team’s last ten games, leading the Mariners in hits with a .370 average.

WILL THE TAMPA BAY RAYS TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

The Rays enter today’s game with an overall record of 85-55 which includes going 46-37 against teams with above .500 records. As of today, they are 2nd in the AL East. Across their 45 series, Tampa Bay is 26-13-6 and have records of 38-31 and 47-24 on the road and at home, respectively.

Tampa Bay starter Zack Littell has had a rocky season thus far, with a record of 3-4 and an ERA of 4.69. He has been struggling in his last three games, giving up four or more earned runs each time. Opponents are hitting .278 against him and have a slugging percentage of .463. Littell has 52 strikeouts so far this season, but he’s also issued eight walks.

In Zack Littell’s most recent outing, the Rays’ right-hander tossed 4 2/3 frames against the Guardians, surrendering four runs on nine hits. Despite his efforts, Littell was unable to secure a victory as Tampa Bay ultimately fell 7-6.

Having gone deep 12 times in their last ten games, the Rays are 10th in that span. At 5.3 runs per game, Tampa Bay is 4th in the league. This figure has come on a team batting average of .259 while hitting a total of 202 home runs (3rd).

Randy Arozarena has been one of the Tampa Bay Rays’ most productive hitters in 2023. His batting average stands at .256, and he has driven in 78 runs to date. Additionally, the slugger has hit 21 home runs this season.