George Kirby gets the start for the Mariners (79-61, 40-32 away) against Taj Bradley and the Rays (85-56, 47-25 home). Today will be game two of their series, with the Mariners leading 1-0. Check out who I like to see who comes out on top in today’s Seattle Mariners vs. Tampa Bay Rays matchup.

SEATTLE MARINERS VS TAMPA BAY RAYS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Tampa Bay Rays -105

This game will be played at Tropicana Field at 6:40 ET on Friday, September 8th.

WHY BET THE TAMPA BAY RAYS:

  • The Mariners are just 2-3 in their last five road games.
  • Tampa Bay is on a two game winning streak when favored on the moneyline.
  • Opponents are hitting a healthy .342 against George Kirby in his last five starts.

SEATTLE MARINERS LOOK TO CONTINUE WINNING WAYS ON THE ROAD

Through 140 games, the Mariners have a record of 79-61. This mark includes going 24-19-2 across their 45 series. Currently, Seattle is 2nd in the AL West and have a 39-29 record at home while going 40-32 on the road. So far, the Mariners have gone 32-34 against teams with above .500 records.

George Kirby has been impressive in his 26 appearances this season, boasting a .391 slugging percentage allowed and a 1.05 WHIP. The right-hander has compiled an overall record of 10-9 with an ERA of 3.39, while racking up 145 strikeouts and averaging 8.19 K/9 innings pitched. His performance at home has been particularly noteworthy, as he is 6-3 with a 3.57 ERA compared to 4-6 with a 4.59 ERA on the road.

George Kirby is looking to rebound after a subpar performance in Seattle’s 6-3 defeat to the Mets. In three innings, he allowed four runs.

Over their last ten games, the Mariners are ranked 14th in the league in scoring at 4.3 runs per game. Their season-long scoring average of 4.8 per contest puts them 11th in baseball. In terms of on-base percentage, Seattle is 8th, with an OBP currently sitting at .325. The team’s collective batting average is .244 (14th).

J.P. Crawford has been a major offensive contributor for the Mariners this season, leading the team in home runs with 15 over the course of ten games. His batting average stands at .269, and he has hit three homers in his last ten appearances.

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

The Rays head into today’s game looking to build on their above .500 record at home (47-25). Their overall record of 85-56 has them placed 2nd in the AL East. Through 46 series, the Rays are 27-13-6.

The Tampa Bay Rays will look to Taj Bradley to take the mound, who has an overall record of 5-7. In his 17 appearances, his ERA is at 5.42 with a K/9 of 11.97. His FIP is 4.09 and opponents have an OBP of .318 against him this season.

In his last outing against the Guardians, Taj Bradley tossed five frames, allowing two runs on three hits. Although he did not factor into the decision, Bradley’s performance was instrumental in securing a 6-2 victory for the Rays.

Offensively, Tampa Bay is ranked 4th in the league with an average of 5.3 runs per game. When looking over their last ten matchups, the Rays averaged 4 runs per contest, which is 9th best in that span. In terms of their power numbers, Tampa Bay is 3rd in all of baseball, with a total of 202 home runs.

Over the last five games, Brandon Lowe has been leading the Rays’ offense with a .343 batting average. He has accumulated 62 RBIs on the season and is currently hitting .234.