The Tampa Bay Rays (32-13), one of the highest-scoring offenses in MLB, are set to host the Milwaukee Brewers (24-19) at Tropicana Field on Friday for the first of a three-game Interleague series.
The Brewers are in the midst of a six-game road trip. They won only one out of three in their last series against the Cardinals, dropping the finale 3-0 on Wednesday at Busch Stadium.
Owen Miller was 3 for 4 with a double, extending his hit streak to 10 games. Tyrone Taylor added a double. The Rays are playing the first of 10 games at home after concluding a 10-game road trip (4-6).
They lost two of three against the Mets in their last series, dropping the finale 3-2 on Thursday at Citi Field. Josh Lowe went 2 for 4 with a home run and a double. He scored two runs.
The teams are meeting for the first time this season. In 2022, the Brewers won all four games between the teams, including a sweep in their most recent two-game series at American Family Field in August.
ON THE MOUND
Adrian Houser (0-0, 5.19 ERA) is set to start for Milwaukee. The right-hander allowed three runs over four innings in his last start, a 4-3 road win over the Royals on Saturday. He gave up eight hits while striking out two and walking one in the no-decision.
Southpaw Shane McClanahan (7-0, 2.34 ERA) is on the mound for Tampa Bay. In his last start on Saturday, McClanahan took a no-decision on the road against the Yankees.
He threw four innings and gave up four runs on five hits, striking out three and walking four in the 9-8 loss. The lefty is tied for the MLB lead in wins. He also ranks fifth in the AL in ERA.
AT THE PLATE
The Milwaukee offense is averaging 4.3 runs per game for the season, with a slash line of .239/.316/.388. Rowdy Tellez leads the team in OPS at .853. The first baseman is slashing .250/.338/.516 with 10 home runs, 23 RBIs, and 18 runs over 39 games.
Against southpaws like McClanahan this season, the Brew Crew have a .643 OPS, second lowest in the league. Joey Wiemer is the team’s most potent producer against left-handers with a .991 OPS in 36 at-bats.
Tampa Bay is slashing .275/.350/.509 for the season and averaging 6.2 runs per game, second best in the league. Four Rays hitters have an OPS of .800 or better, led by Yandy Diaz (1.021).
The third baseman has 10 home runs, 24 RBIs, and 33 runs scored with a slash line of .321/.429/.593. The Rays have ann .845 OPS against righties in 2023, highest in MLB. With a 1.062 OPS over 113 at-bats, Diaz also has been their best hitter against right-handers.
HOME AND AWAY
Milwaukee is 11-11 in road games in 2023, scoring 3.8 runs per game while allowing 4.6 runs. Tampa Bay has gone 19-3 in front of their home fans this season, averaging 6.0 runs per game while surrendering 2.6. In the last 10 games between the teams at Tropicana Field, Milwaukee is 6-4 with an average scoreline of 3.0-2.0.
STANDINGS UPDATE
The Brewers lead the NL Central by one games over the Pirates. The Rays lead the AL East by three games over the Orioles.
SportsTips’ MLB Pick:
TB Rays (-275)
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
