Oakland Athletics vs Tampa Bay Rays Picks and Predictions August 22nd 2024

At 3:37 PM ET, the Rays and Athletics face off in an AL matchup. This one is being played at Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, and the Athletics are the slight money line underdog (+106). The money line odds have the Rays at -126.

Thursday’s forecast in Oakland calls for cloudy skies and temperatures in the low 60s. Jeffrey Springs will start for the Rays, and the Athletics are starting Osvaldo Bido. Tampa Bay is 64-62, while the Athletics come in with a record of 54-73. The Rays are 4th in the AL East, and the Athletics are 4th in the AL West. NSPCA is carrying this one on TV.

Jeffrey Springs will be making his 4th start of the season for the Rays, and he will be on the road against the A’s. Springs has a win and two no-decisions in his first three starts. His last outing was a win at home against the Diamondbacks, where he went 5 innings and gave up just 1 earned run.

Yandy Diaz has been swinging a hot bat for the Rays of late, going 11/35 in his last 10 games. For the season, he is batting .275 and leads the team with 55 RBIs. Diaz is also on a three-game hitting streak. Brandon Lowe and Jose Siri are both tied for 2nd on the team with 16 homers, but Lowe has struggled of late, going just 6/36 in his last nine games.

For the season, the Rays are averaging just 3.9 runs per game, which is 28th in the league. They are also near the bottom of the league in home runs and team slugging percentage. Overall, they are batting just .231. As a team, they have been striking out 9 times per game, which is 23rd in the MLB.

Right-hander Osvaldo Bido is getting the start for the Athletics today as he faces off against the Rays at home. Bido has made 12 appearances this year and has a record of 4-3 to go along with an ERA of 3.40. In his six starts, he has pitched three quality starts and is averaging 9 strikeouts per nine innings. Bido’s most recent outing was a good one, as he didn’t give up a run in six innings of work against the Giants. He picked up the win in that outing. Before that, he had given up at least two homers in three straight starts.

Over his last six games, JJ Bleday has three home runs, but he is hitting just .217 during that stretch. For the season, he is batting .286 with a team-high 84 RBIs. Shea Langeliers is 2nd on the team in RBIs and has 22 homers, which is 14th in the league. However, he is batting just .227 for the season.

As a team, the Athletics are 8th in home runs but are just 25th in runs scored. They are batting .230 as a team and are also near the bottom of the league in strikeouts. Oakland is hoping that Seth Brown can stay hot, as he is hitting .429 over his last six games.

Tampa Bay Rays Fight to Keep Playoff Hopes Alive in Crucial Series Finale

The Tampa Bay Rays are hanging on by a thread in their quest for a playoff spot as they gear up to finish a vital four-game series against the Oakland Athletics. Despite some recent wins, the Rays are just two games above .500 and trail by 6.5 games for the final American League wild-card spot. With the season ticking away, every game now holds immense importance in their push for the postseason.

Rays Face High Stakes Amid Internal Tensions

The Rays have shown a fighting spirit lately, winning five of their last six games, including back-to-back victories in Oakland. But the intensity of the playoff chase seems to be wearing on the team. During Wednesday night’s 4-2 win, tensions boiled over in the dugout with an altercation between third baseman Jose Caballero and first baseman Yandy Diaz. The disagreement, reportedly sparked by a clash over effort during a late-game play, had to be calmed down by teammates.

This incident highlights the immense pressure the Rays are under as they fight to stay relevant in the playoff picture. Currently sitting fourth in the AL East, and after trading away key players at the deadline, the team is battling not just their opponents, but the weight of their own expectations and frustrations.

Jose Siri Steps Up in Critical Moments

Amid all the pressure, center fielder Jose Siri has risen to the occasion for the Rays. After struggling through an 0-for-21 slump, Siri came alive with a solo home run in Tuesday’s 1-0 victory. He followed that with a massive 423-foot, go-ahead two-run homer in Wednesday’s win, proving his ability to shine in clutch moments.

Siri’s power at the plate has been a game-changer for the Rays, particularly in this series against Oakland. He now has 16 home runs this season, with four of them coming against the A’s.

Athletics Aim to Play Spoiler

Despite holding one of the worst records in the American League, the Oakland Athletics have been surprisingly competitive since the All-Star break. With a 17-12 record during that span, the A’s have been playing better than their season-long performance suggests. They took the series opener 3-0 on Monday and are looking to close out with another win in Thursday’s day game.

JJ Bleday has been a standout for Oakland, hitting his fourth home run in nine games during Wednesday’s contest. The A’s have shown they can be a tough matchup, especially when underestimated.

Crucial Pitching Matchup

Thursday’s game will feature a critical pitching duel between Tampa Bay’s Jeffrey Springs and Oakland’s Osvaldo Bido.

Jeffrey Springs: The Rays’ left-hander, making his fifth start of the season, has been solid since coming back from Tommy John surgery. Springs boasts a 3.86 ERA over 18 2/3 innings this season, with 21 strikeouts and only five walks. He has a strong history against Oakland, including a dominant seven-inning shutout in their last meeting in April 2023.

Osvaldo Bido: The Athletics’ right-hander has recently stepped up from the bullpen to the starting rotation due to injuries. Bido has been impressive in his last two starts, allowing just three hits over 12 scoreless innings. His recent performances suggest he could pose a significant challenge for the Rays as they aim to clinch the series.

Series Implications

This game is critical for the Rays. A win would not only secure the series but also keep their playoff dreams alive as they chase that final wild-card spot. However, the Athletics, with nothing to lose, are embracing the role of spoilers, and their recent form indicates they won’t go down without a fight.

As the Rays grapple with both internal and external pressures, their ability to come together as a team will be crucial to their postseason aspirations. With tensions high and stakes even higher, Tampa Bay must capitalize on their recent momentum to stay in the race.

For a money-line pick, we are leaning toward the Athletics to come out on top at home vs. the Rays. As for how we would play the over/under line, we would go with the over, as this is projected to be the 2nd lowest-scoring game of the day, but the line is sitting at 7.5 runs. Oakland starter Osvaldo Bido has the 2nd worst chance to pick up a win among today’s starters.