The Tampa Bay Rays (41-19) are on the road to face the Boston Red Sox (30-28) at Fenway Park on Sunday. The teams split Saturday’s series-opening doubleheader.
After the Red Sox took the first game 8-5, the Rays bounced back with a 4-2 win in the nightcap, their fifth head-to-head victory in six games this season.
Calvin Faucher threw one scoreless inning of relief to get the win, and Jason Adam earned his eighth save with a scoreless ninth. Harold Ramirez was 3 for 5 with two doubles, one run, and two RBIs in the win. Triston Casas went 2 for 3 with a triple and a double for the Red Sox. He drove in one run.
ON THE MOUND
Taj Bradley (3-2, 3.60 ERA) is slated to start for Tampa Bay. The right-hander allowed one run (zero earned) over 5.2 innings in his last start, a 1-0 road defeat against the Cubs on Monday.
He took the loss, giving up three hits while striking out eight and walking one. Bradley has made one previous start against the Red Sox this season, a 9-7 home victory on April 12.
He surrendered three runs on five hits over five innings, striking out eight and walking one. For Boston, righty Tanner Houck (3-4, 5.30 ERA) gets the start.
It’s his first appearance of the season against the Rays. Houck made one appearance against the Rays in 2022, throwing 1.2 innings in a 5-2 road defeat on April 24.
He didn’t give up a hit and struck out two. In his last start on May 28, Houck took the loss on the road against the Diamondbacks. He threw four innings and gave up four runs on six hits, striking out four, in the 4-2 defeat.
AT THE PLATE
Over the last five games, Tampa Bay has averaged only 2.8 runs a game, down from their season average of 5.8, while performing worse across the board (.201/.272/.287). Against righties like Houck this season, the Rays have a .802 OPS, the highest in the league.
Yandy Diaz is the team’s most potent producer against right-handers with a 1.002 OPS in 148 at-bats. Boston is averaging 6.0 runs per game in the last five, up slightly from 5.2 for the season.
The Sox have a .763 OPS against right-handers in 2023, the fifth highest in MLB. With a .917 OPS over 141 at-bats, Masataka Yoshida has been their best hitter against right-handers.
HOME AND AWAY
Tampa Bay is 15-13 on the road in 2023, scoring 5.7 runs per game while allowing 4.1 runs. Boston has gone 17-14 at their home ballpark this season, averaging 6.0 runs per game while surrendering 5.4.
In the last 10 games at Fenway Park between the AL East rivals, Boston is 6-4 despite an average scoreline favoring Tampa Bay (5.1-4.9).
STANDINGS UPDATE
The Rays lead the AL East by four games over the Orioles. The Red Sox are fifth in the AL East, 10 games behind the Rays.
SportsTips’ MLB Pick:
TB Rays (-125)
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