Two of the top offenses in baseball are set to square off at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on Monday as the Baltimore Orioles (22-12) host the Tampa Bay Rays (28-7) to open a three-game series. The Rays are playing their first of 10 games on the road after closing out a successful six-game homestand (5-1).
They won two out of three in their last series against the Yankees, taking the finale 8-7 on Sunday at Tropicana Field. Jose Siri was 1 for 3 with a home run and two runs.
The Orioles are playing the first of 10 games at home after finishing up a 10-game road trip (6-4). They lost two of three against the Braves in their last series, dropping the finale 3-2 on Sunday at Truist Park. Anthony Santander went 2 for 4 with one RBI.
The teams are meeting for the first time this season. The Rays won the 2022 season series between the AL East rivals (10-9), including two out of three in their most recent meeting at Tropicana Field in August.
ON THE MOUND
Shane McClanahan (6-0, 2.12 ERA) is in line to get the start for Tampa Bay. The southpaw is tied for the MLB lead in wins. He also ranks fourth in the AL in ERA and fifth in strikeouts (51). McClanahan allowed one run over six innings in his last start, an 8-1 road win over the Pirates on Wednesday.
He got the win, yielding five hits while striking out nine and walking two. Over three starts against the Orioles in 2022, McClanahan was 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA over 17.1 innings. He had 18 strikeouts and six walks.For Baltimore, righty Kyle Gibson (4-1, 4.61 ERA) gets the ball.
In his last start on Wednesday, Gibson took the loss on the road against the Royals. He threw 6.2 innings and gave up six runs on 10 hits in the 6-0 defeat. The right-hander is tied for fifth in the AL in wins.
AT THE PLATE
The Tampa Bay offense is averaging 6.4 runs per game for the season, second best in MLB, with a slash line of .277/.349/.523. Yandy Diaz leads the team in OPS at 1.054. The shortstop is slashing .327/.436/.618 with nine home runs, 19 RBIs, and 29 runs over 32 games.
Over the last five games, however, Tampa Bay has averaged only 5.2 runs a game while slashing worse across the board (.253/.309/.506). Against right-handed pitchers like Gibson this season, the Rays have ann .852 OPS, highest in the league. Diaz also is the team’s strongest hitter against right-handers with a 1.148 OPS in 87 at-bats.
Baltimore is slashing .260/.339/.432 for the season and averaging 5.5 runs per game, fourth best in MLB. Austin Hays leads the team with ann .848 OPS. The right fielder has four home runs, 11 RBIs, and 19 runs scored with a slash line of .293/.343/.505.
The O’s have an .818 OPS against lefties in 2023, third highest in the league. With a 1.038 OPS over 52 at-bats, Ryan Mountcastle has been their best hitter against left-handers.
HOME AND AWAY
Tampa Bay is 9-4 in road games in 2023, scoring 7.2 runs per game while allowing 4.0 runs. Baltimore has gone 9-4 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards this season, averaging 5.1 runs per game while surrendering 4.3. In the last 10 games at Oriole Park at Camden Yards between the teams, Baltimore is 7-3 with an average scoreline of 4.2-3.6.
STANDINGS UPDATE
The Rays lead the AL East by four games over the Orioles.
SportsTips’ MLB Pick:
TB Rays (-175)
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
