Baltimore Orioles vs Tampa Bay Rays Picks and Predictions September 6th 2024

At 7:05 PM ET, the Rays and Orioles face off in an AL East matchup. This one is being played at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, and the Orioles are the betting favorite on the money line (-135). The Rays are 4th in the AL East with a record of 69-71.

Friday’s pitching matchup features Shane Baz for the Rays and Dean Kremer for the Orioles. The over/under line is currently at 8 runs, and MASN will be televising this one.

Right-hander Shane Baz is starting for the Rays today as he faces the Orioles on the road. So far, he has made nine starts and has a record of 2-2 to go along with a 3.49 ERA. Baz has made four quality starts this year and is coming off an outing in which he allowed two earned runs in five innings of work. In that start, he gave up one homer. Baz has a WHIP of 1.29 and is averaging 7.53 strikeouts per nine innings. Opponents are batting .230 off Baz this season.

Yandy Diaz has been one of the few bright spots in the Rays lineup this season, as he is batting .278 with 13 homers and 62 RBIs. He has also been swinging a hot bat of late, going 7/17 in his last five games with two homers. Christopher Morel is the team’s leader in homers but is batting just .197 for the season. Morel does come into the game on a three-game hitting streak.

Overall, the Rays are 28th in the league in scoring at 3.9 runs per game. They are also one of the league’s worst home run-hitting teams and have a team batting average of just .231. As a team, they are batting just .231 and are 23rd in team OPS.

Right-hander Dean Kremer is getting the start for the Orioles today as he faces the Rays at home. He has made 20 starts this season and has a record of 6-9 with an ERA of 4.51. Kremer’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.30, and opponents are batting .226 off him this year. In his last outing, Kremer finished with a no-decision, giving up four earned runs in 3 1/3 innings of work. Before that, he had picked up the win in two straight outings. Kremer has given up at least one homer in each of his last three starts.

Anthony Santander has been one of the league’s top power hitters this season, as his 39 home runs are 3rd in the MLB and the most on the Orioles. He is also 9th in the league with 91 RBIs. However, Santander is hitting just .242 this season. Gunnar Henderson has been the Orioles’ most consistent hitter, batting .280 for the season and has gone 8/24 in his last six games, including two homers.

As a team, the Orioles have the league’s 2nd ranked home run total and are 3rd in runs scored at 5 per game. They have been even better on the road, averaging 5.2 runs per contest. Overall, they have the league’s top slugging percentage and isolated power (ISO).

The Baltimore Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays are gearing up for a high-stakes three-game series starting Friday night in Baltimore. With the postseason in sight, the Orioles are aiming for the top spot in the AL East, while the Rays are fighting to keep their wild-card dreams alive. As the regular season winds down, every game counts for both teams in their push toward October.

Orioles Aim to Rebound After Loss to White Sox

The Orioles (81-60) had a bump in the road after an 8-1 loss to the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday, snapping their three-game winning streak. They had a day off on Thursday, giving them a chance to regroup and prepare for this crucial homestand against Tampa Bay.

Henderson has been a standout for Baltimore, recently setting a franchise record for home runs by a shortstop with 35, surpassing legends like Cal Ripken Jr. and Miguel Tejada. His recent hot streak, going 7-for-15 with two homers in September after a quiet end to August, brings a much-needed spark to the Orioles’ lineup as they continue to chase the division title.

Rays Struggling to Build Momentum

The Tampa Bay Rays (69-71) have been inconsistent since the All-Star break, managing just two three-game winning streaks. After splitting a four-game series with the Minnesota Twins, the Rays know they need to get on a roll to stay in the wild-card race. Thursday’s 4-3 loss to Minnesota was a missed chance to gain ground in the standings.

Tampa Bay has had a tough time against the Orioles this year, losing eight of 10 meetings, including a four-game sweep at home in June. A strong showing in Baltimore this weekend could be the key to keeping their postseason hopes alive.

Pitching Matchup: Kremer vs. Baz

Friday’s opener will feature a battle of right-handers. Dean Kremer (6-9, 4.51 ERA) will start for Baltimore. Kremer is coming off a rough outing where he allowed four runs in just 3 1/3 innings against the Colorado Rockies. Despite his recent struggles, Kremer has fared well against the Rays historically, posting a solid 2.79 ERA in six career starts.

The Rays will counter with Shane Baz (2-2, 3.49 ERA), who has found his rhythm lately, winning his last two starts. However, Baz has been battling control issues, issuing eight walks over his past three outings. He doesn’t have much experience against the Orioles but was impressive in his lone start against them last year, throwing six scoreless innings.

Rays Shuffle Roster, Boost Bullpen

Looking to bolster their bullpen for this critical series, the Rays made a few roster moves. They called up reliever Mason Montgomery, who made a strong MLB debut on Thursday, throwing a scoreless inning. To make room, the Rays designated catcher Alex Jackson for assignment, indicating that rookie Logan Driscoll will be taking on a more permanent role behind the plate for the remainder of the season.

With Montgomery ready in the bullpen and corner infielder Austin Shenton adding depth to the roster, the Rays are making every effort to optimize their lineup as they prepare to take on one of the toughest teams in their division.

Playoff Implications

For the Orioles, this series is about catching the New York Yankees and securing the AL East crown, while the Rays are clinging to their wild-card hopes. With Baltimore having dominated the season series so far, Tampa Bay knows they need to flip the script this weekend if they want to keep pace in the playoff race.

This AL East showdown has huge playoff implications for both teams, and as the season winds down, the pressure is only building. It’s going to be an exciting and intense series as these rivals battle for a spot in October.

As the Orioles host the Rays today, we are leaning towards the Orioles picking up the win at home. Not only do we have the Orioles as our projected winner, but we are also leaning towards the over. This game is projected to have the 4th most combined runs and 4th most hits. The Orioles offense is our highest projected run-scoring team in the league today.