Detroit Tigers vs Tampa Bay Rays Picks and Predictions September 26th 2024

Detroit comes into this one with a record of 84-74 and they are currently on a four-game winning streak. The Tigers are favored on the money line today at -164, while the Rays have a money line odds of +139. Today’s over/under line is at 7.5 runs, and the forecasted temperature in Detroit is 63 degrees with scattered clouds.

First pitch from Comerica Park is set for 1:10 PM ET, and BSSUN will be televising this AL matchup. Tyler Alexander is starting for the Rays, and the Tigers are going with Reese Olson. Tampa Bay is 78-80, and they are currently on a two-game losing streak. The Tigers are third in the AL Central, with the Twins and Indians ahead of them.

Tampa Bay vs. Detroit Key Information

Tyler Alexander gets the start for the Rays today and comes in with a record of 6-5 and an ERA of 5.35. So far this year, he has made 22 appearances and 8 starts. Alexander’s WHIP for the season is 1.27, and he has only turned in one quality start this year. Looking back at his last outing, Alexander went 4 1/3 innings and didn’t give up a run. He finished with a no-decision in that outing. Opponents are batting .259 off Alexander this year, and he has allowed a total of 23 home runs.

So far this season, the Rays offense has been one of the worst in the league, averaging just 3.7 runs per game, which is 29th in the MLB. They are also near the bottom of the league in home runs and have a team batting average of just .230. One positive for the Rays is that they have been good at avoiding strikeouts, as their team strikeout numbers are 23rd in the league.

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Yandy Diaz has been the Rays’ top hitter this season, batting .282 with 14 home runs and 65 RBIs. However, he has just one home run in his last 10 games. Christopher Morel and Brandon Lowe are tied for the team lead in homers, but Morel is batting just .195, and Lowe is at .239. Jonathan Aranda has been swinging a hot bat of late, going 5/19 with three homers in his last six games.

Detroit is sending right-hander Reese Olson to the mound today vs. the Rays. He has made 21 starts this year and has a record of 4-8 with an ERA of 3.49. So far, opponents are batting .234 off Olsen this year. Olsen’s last outing came on September 21st, where he went three innings, giving up one earned run on three hits. He finished with a no-decision in that outing. Olsen has finished with a no-decision in each of his last three outings. The right-hander has a home ERA of 4.35 compared to 4.03 on the road.

Heading into today’s game, the Tigers are 18th in the league in runs scored, averaging 4.2 runs per game. Detroit has been a better offensive team on the road this season, averaging 4.3 runs per game. As a team, they are batting just .235, which is 17th in the league. The Tigers are also near the bottom of the league in on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and OPS.

Riley Greene has been a consistent run producer for the Tigers this season, as he leads the team with 73 RBIs and has gone deep 24 times. Greene has also been swinging a hot bat of late, going 8/30 in his last seven games. Kerry Carpenter has also hit two homers in his last seven games and has a batting average of .285 for the season.

There should be no shortage of offense in today’s Rays and Tigers matchup, and not only are we leaning towards the Rays picking up the win, but we are also leaning towards taking the over. The Rays offense is our highest projected in today’s league slate, and Tyler Alexander is 5th in our projections in starting pitcher win probability. On the other side, Reese Olson has the worst chance to pick up a win among today’s starters.

Tigers Seek Sweep of Rays to Reduce Magic Number

The magic is alive at Comerica Park as the Detroit Tigers inch closer to securing an American League wild card spot. Following a 7-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday, the Tigers (84-74) reduced their magic number to three. Detroit is currently tied for the second and third wild card positions with the Kansas City Royals, who own the tiebreaker.

Detroit and Kansas City remain two games ahead of the Minnesota Twins and 2 1/2 games ahead of the Seattle Mariners in the wild card race. The Tigers have been on a tear, winning eight of their last nine games, and they will aim to complete a sweep of the Rays on Thursday.

Momentum Building in Detroit

The Tigers’ surge has caught the attention of their fans, with a crowd of 32,463 turning out to witness Wednesday’s win. Detroit, which was at .500 as recently as September 6, has now won 13 of its last 16 games.

“We’ve got a lot more baseball to play,” said first baseman Spencer Torkelson in a postgame interview. “I love where we’re at. We’re winning each day and finding ways to get better every single day. We’ve got the city behind us.”

Detroit manager A.J. Hinch echoed the sentiment, expressing pride in the team’s performance and the fan support.

“We’re trying our best to make everybody in this city proud of us, and we’re doing well,” Hinch said. “It means a lot that our fans care. It was an electric atmosphere (Wednesday), and this is exactly what we want at Comerica.”

Offensive Power and Pitching Depth

Parker Meadows provided a spark early in Wednesday’s game with a leadoff home run in the first inning, while Torkelson delivered a two-run homer and an RBI double later in the game. Despite striking out in his first two at-bats, Torkelson’s offensive contributions proved pivotal.

“We need him to be a threat,” said Hinch. “He had a couple tough at-bats and then all of a sudden, boom, he changed the dynamic of the game.”

Hinch also leaned heavily on his bullpen, using six pitchers to secure the win. Among them was 22-year-old right-hander Jackson Jobe, the top pitching prospect in MLB, who pitched a scoreless ninth inning in his major league debut.

Rays’ Playoff Hopes Dashed

Tampa Bay (78-80) was officially eliminated from playoff contention with the loss, marking a disappointing end to a season that began with promise. The Rays were three games above .500 on May 18, but a midseason slump saw them lose 16 of their next 24 games, sinking their playoff hopes.

“Unfortunately not how we wanted it (to go) with the start of the season,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “But we are where we kind of played and how we performed.”

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The Rays came into Detroit on a four-game winning streak, but consecutive losses dashed their postseason chances.

Series Finale: Olson vs. Alexander

The Tigers will send right-hander Reese Olson (4-8, 3.49 ERA) to the mound for Thursday’s series finale. Olson, who recently returned from a right shoulder strain, has made two appearances since his recovery. He gave up four runs to Kansas City in his first outing but bounced back by holding the Baltimore Orioles to one run over three innings last Saturday.

Olson is not expected to pitch deep into the game, as he threw 58 pitches in his previous outing. He has faced Tampa Bay once before, allowing four runs in five innings on August 4, 2023.

Tampa Bay will counter with left-hander Tyler Alexander (6-5, 5.35 ERA). In his last start, Alexander threw 4 1/3 scoreless innings in a 1-0 win over the Toronto Blue Jays. Alexander’s only appearance against Detroit this season came on April 24, when he pitched four innings of two-run relief.