Tampa Bay Rays vs Minnesota Twins Picks and Predictions September 3rd 2024

The Twins and Rays are facing off in an AL matchup at 6:50 PM ET. This one is being played at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg and the Twins have won two straight, putting them at 75-62, second in the AL Central. The Rays are 4th in the AL East with a record of 67-70.

David Festa will go for the Twins, while the Rays are starting Jeffrey Springs. On the money line, the Twins are favored, with their line sitting at -106 compared to the Rays at -113. The over/under line is currently at 7.5 runs, and this game can be seen on BSSUN.

Right-hander David Festa gets the start for the Twins today as he faces the Rays on the road. Festa has made eight starts and one of them was a quality start. His record for the season is 2-4, and he is coming off a rough outing where he took the loss. Against the Braves on August 28th, Festa gave up two earned runs in six innings of work. Looking back further, he has allowed at least one homer in three straight outings. Festa’s ERA for the season is 4.89, along with a WHIP of 1.21. Per nine innings, he is averaging 10.84 strikeouts and 2.55 walks.

Willi Castro, Carlos Santana, and Ryan Jeffers are the Twins’ top home run hitters this season, but all three players are batting under .255 for the year. Jeffers has a team-high 59 RBIs and 20 homers, while Santana has gone deep 18 times and driven in 57 runs. The Twins’ offense is 7th in the league in scoring at 4.8 runs per game and are also among the league leaders in team slugging and OPS.

Brooks Lee has gone 3/8 over his last two games, including one home run, and is also on a five-game hitting streak. However, he is batting just .250 for the season. Matt Wallner has one homer in his last seven games but is batting just .241 in that stretch.

Left-hander Jeffrey Springs gets the start for the Rays today and will be facing the Twins at home. He has made six starts this year and has a record of 1-2 with an ERA of 3.67. Springs most recently faced the Mariners, where he went five innings, didn’t give up a run, and finished with a no-decision. Before that outing, he had given up at least one earned run in three straight starts. Opponents are batting .275 off Springs this year, and his WHIP is 1.44. Per nine innings, he is averaging 11 strikeouts and three walks.

For the season, the Rays are averaging just 3.9 runs per game, which is 28th in the league. They have also been one of the worst home run-hitting teams in the league, coming in at 24th. As a team, they are batting just .231, which is 19th in the league. However, they do have a few players who have been swinging the bat well of late, as Jonny DeLuca has gone 4/12 in his last four games, and Josh Lowe is 7/19 in his last five games.

Yandy Diaz has been the Rays’ top run producer this season, as he is batting .274 and leads the team with 59 RBIs. He also has 12 homers, which is 4th on the team. Christopher Morel and Jose Siri have been two of the Rays’ weaker hitters this season, as Morel is batting just .196, and Siri is at .193.

Rays Seek Urgency as Jeffrey Springs Faces Twins in Crucial Game Two

The Tampa Bay Rays find themselves in a tough spot as they prepare to face the Minnesota Twins in the second game of a four-game series on Tuesday night in St. Petersburg, Florida. After a disappointing loss on Monday, the Rays (67-70) are in desperate need of a win to stay in the hunt for a wild-card spot as the regular season enters its final stretch.

Rays Struggling to Find Momentum

The Rays have hit a rough patch, losing three of their last four games and falling three games below .500 for the first time since June 22. Monday’s series opener was a frustrating 4-3 loss, with Tampa Bay struggling to capitalize on scoring opportunities, going just 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position. This latest defeat highlights a recurring issue for the Rays—trouble in clutch situations.

Rays manager Kevin Cash knows how important it is for his team to get hot as the season winds down, but Monday’s performance didn’t do much to inspire confidence. “It’s tough, no doubt,” Cash said. “We talked about the importance of this series. It’s a challenge. We’ve got to find a way to come back, win tomorrow, and see where the next couple of games go.”

Jeffrey Springs Takes the Mound for the Rays

To spark a turnaround, the Rays are sending left-hander Jeffrey Springs (1-2, 3.67 ERA) to the mound. Springs, who is making his seventh start since returning from Tommy John surgery 16 months ago, has shown promising signs of regaining his form. In his most recent outing against the Seattle Mariners, Springs delivered his best performance of the season—allowing just one hit over five shutout innings while striking out nine. Despite this dominant display, he didn’t get the win, settling for a no-decision.

Springs has been solid against the Twins in his career, holding a 1-0 record with a 0.00 ERA over 6 1/3 innings, spread across one start and one relief appearance. The Twins have managed just two hits and two walks against him while striking out six times. The Rays are hoping Springs can replicate that success and help them get back on track.

Twins Looking to Build on Momentum

The Minnesota Twins (75-62) are coming into Tuesday’s game with momentum on their side after a tight 4-3 win over the Rays on Monday. A three-run homer by Trevor Larnach was the key moment in that game, helping the Twins gain ground in the wild-card race, especially with the Kansas City Royals (75-64) dropping their sixth straight game.

Minnesota’s bullpen played a big role in Monday’s victory, combining for 4 1/3 innings of one-run ball, striking out eight without issuing a single walk. Twins manager Rocco Baldelli praised his relievers after the game, saying, “It should be a confidence boost for our group… We got the win, and that’s the most important thing.”

David Festa to Start for the Twins

The Twins will turn to rookie right-hander David Festa (2-4, 4.89 ERA) for Tuesday’s game. Festa, a Seton Hall product, has had a rough go of it in his last two outings, suffering losses against the Atlanta Braves and St. Louis Cardinals. This will be his first career start against the Rays, and he’ll need to bring his best stuff to keep Minnesota’s momentum going.

A Must-Win for Tampa Bay

As the Rays look to salvage their homestand and keep their playoff hopes alive, Jeffrey Springs’ performance will be key. Meanwhile, the Twins aim to build on their recent success and strengthen their wild-card positioning. Tuesday’s game is a crucial matchup for both teams as they fight for postseason spots.

Our lean for an over/under pick in this Twins vs. Rays matchup is to take the over. This is our lowest projected scoring game of the day, but the line is still sitting at 7.5 runs. For a money line pick, we are leaning towards the Twins to come out on top. Looking at today’s starters, David Festa has the 6th worst strikeout projection compared to Jeffrey Springs (13th).