The Rays (90-57, 40-32 away) travel to take on the Orioles (91-54, 43-28 home) in game one of this AL East matchup. Aaron Civale is getting the start for the Rays while Kyle Bradish is starting for the Orioles. See who I like to pick up the win in today’s Tampa Bay Rays vs. Baltimore Orioles showdown at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

TAMPA BAY RAYS VS BALTIMORE ORIOLES BETTING PICK

The Pick: Baltimore Orioles -142

This game will be played at Oriole Park at Camden Yards at 7:15 ET on Thursday, September 14th.

WHY BET THE BALTIMORE ORIOLES:

  • In their previous ten games, the Orioles have a record of 7-3.
  • Over their previous five games as the underdog, the Rays are just 2-3 straight-up.
  • Opponents are hitting just .207 against Kyle Bradish in his last three starts.

TAMPA BAY RAYS TRYING TO CLOSE GAP IN AL EAST

Leading up to today’s game, the Rays are 2nd in the AL East on a record of 90-57. Overall, they have played in 46 different series, going 28-12-6. When playing above .500 teams, the Rays are 90-57, and currently hold win percentages of 66.7% at home and 55.6% on the road.

Today marks Aaron Civale’s 21st appearance of the season, and he boasts an impressive 7-3 record. His ERA is currently 2.96, with an OBP allowed of .278, and he has struck out 98 batters thus far with a WHIP of 1.12. On the road, Civale’s ERA is even more impressive at 2.32 compared to 4.06 when pitching at home.

Aaron Civale’s most recent start against the Mariners saw him surrender four runs on four hits over five innings. Despite not earning a win or a loss, the Rays emerged victorious with a 7-5 scoreline.

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 5.4 runs per contest, which is 10th best in that span. In terms of their power numbers, Tampa Bay is 3rd in all of baseball, with a total of 210 home runs.

The Tampa Bay Rays have seen Yandy Díaz’s power surge over their last ten games, with the slugger leading the team with two home runs. His season-long total now stands at 20, and his overall batting average is a robust .324.

WILL THE BALTIMORE ORIOLES TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

This season, the Orioles have an overall series record of 29-13-3 and are currently 1st in the AL East. Baltimore’s overall record is 91-54, which includes their current two game losing streak. On the road, the Orioles are 48-26 and 43-28 at home.

Kyle Bradish is off to a strong start in 2023, boasting an 11-6 record and 3.03 ERA. On the road, he has gone 7-3 with a 3.55 ERA, while at home he has put together a 4-3 mark and 3.81 ERA. His WHIP is 1.09 with opponents hitting just .221 against him, and slugging .343 overall.

Baltimore is looking to Kyle Bradish to lead them to another victory, having previously defeated the Red Sox 11-2 in his last start. The right-hander allowed two earned runs on four hits over six innings of work.

The Orioles have been one of the top power lineups in the league of late, having hit 12 home runs over their last ten games. Compared to other clubs, this is 9th best in that span. For the season, they are ranked 15th in home runs and 8th in slugging percentage. Overall, Baltimore is averaging 5.1 runs per game (6th).

Gunnar Henderson has been a major offensive force for the Orioles in their last ten games, leading the team with three home runs. His season-long total of 25 homers is impressive, and his overall batting average stands at .259.