The Tampa Bay Rays (50-22) take one of the highest-scoring lineups in the league on the road to face the San Diego Padres (33-35) at Petco Park on Friday to open a three-game Interleague series.
The Rays are in the midst of a seven-game road trip. They split their last series against the Athletics, taking the finale 4-3 on Thursday at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Luke Raley was 2 for 4 with a home run and two runs.
The Padres are in the midst of a six-game homestand. They won two of three against the Guardians in their last series, dropping the finale 8-6 on Thursday at Petco Park.
Juan Soto went 1 for 2 with a double and one run, walking three times. The teams are meeting for the first time since August 14, 2019, when the Padres avoided a three-game series sweep with a 7-2 win at Petco Park.
ON THE MOUND
Shane McClanahan (10-1, 2.18 ERA) is set to take the mound for Tampa Bay. The LHP is tied for the league lead in wins. He also ranks second in the AL in ERA.
McClanahan allowed three runs over seven innings in his last start, a 7-3 road win over the Rangers on Sunday. He got the win, giving up four hits while striking out five and walking one. For San Diego, righty Yu Darvish (5-4, 4.30 ERA) gets the start.
In his last start on June 9, Darvish got the win on the road against the Rockies. He threw 5.1 innings and gave up four runs on five hits, striking out six and walking four in the 9-6 triumph.
AT THE PLATE
The Tampa Bay offense is averaging 5.6 runs per game for the season, second best in MLB, with a slash line of .264/.338/.471. Four Rays hitters have an OPS of .800 or better, led by Yandy Diaz (.943). The third baseman is slashing .311/.404/.539 with 12 home runs, 36 RBIs, and 44 runs over 58 games.
Over the last five games, though, Tampa Bay has averaged only 4.2 runs a game partially due to diminished slugging (.431). Against righties like Darvish this season, the Rays have a .793 OPS, the highest in MLB. Diaz also is the team’s best performer against right-handers with a .977 OPS in 170 at-bats.
San Diego is slashing .229/.319/.398 for the season and averaging 4.3 runs per game. Fernando Tatis Jr. leads the team with a .902 OPS. The shortstop has 14 home runs, 34 RBIs, and 34 runs scored with a slash line of .280/.347/.555. The Padres have a .779 OPS against lefties in 2023. With a 1.163 OPS over 47 at-bats, Tatis Jr. also has been their best hitter against left-handers.
HOME AND AWAY
Tampa Bay is 19-15 away from home in 2023, scoring 5.4 runs per game while allowing 3.8 runs. San Diego has gone 17-19 in front of their home fans this season, averaging 4.2 runs per game while surrendering 3.7. Tampa Bay is 5-1 in six meetings at Petco Park with an average scoreline of 6.2-4.2.
STANDINGS UPDATE
The Rays lead the AL East by five games over the Orioles. The Padres are fourth in the NL West, seven games behind the Diamondbacks.
SportsTips’ MLB Pick:
Over 8 Runs (-105)
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
