Written By: The Persian
The Baltimore Orioles get set to take on the Tampa Bay Rays in the first three-game set inside Oriole Park at Camden Yards from Baltimore, Maryland, starting Friday night. They toss out the first pitch at 7:05 pm in what could be a massive series for the Orioles, who are trying to take a step closer to clinching the division.
Bookmaker has installed the Orioles - 130 on the ML.
The Orioles have been one of the best teams in the majors this season, and they have pushed the New York Yankees, which is very rare. New York has owned the Orioles, but the tables have turned this season.
Baltimore has shown that it has a ton of staying power, and it is a highly talented team with a stacked lineup from top to bottom.
They have won seven out of their last 11 overall and now have an 81-60 record, which is 1/2 game ahead of the Yankees in the AL East as teams entered play Thursday night.
This is a massive series for the Orioles, as they need to stay a step or two ahead of the Yankees. They have won three of four overall.
Baltimore can score a lot of runs, and they come in bunches, too. They have hit a team total of 299 home runs this season, and they are going to be a dangerous team once the playoffs arise.
As of Thursday night, they have yet to name a starter to take the ball. Their team ERA sits at 3.93 on the season. They have done a decent job of keeping hitters in check.
The Rays will only be enjoying postseason baseball if they have a miracle run in them. They will not win the AL East, and their pitching, which was once so stellar and sharp, has taken a significant step back this season.
They relied on their starting rotation to help them this season, and it has not panned out. They have not been good this season, and teams have taken advantage of that by jumping out to early leads. Their team ERA is 3.95, and if they have any shot against the Orioles, they will have to score some runs.
On offense, Yandy Diaz leads the way. He is batting .276 on the season and has 61 runs batted in. He has collected 139 hits and 25 doubles. The Rays, as a team, only hit .231 on the season, and this has contributed to their not being able to really manufacture any runs because they cannot get on base consistently.
They will hand the ball over to Shane Baz, who has a posted mark of 2-2 and an ERA of 3.49 on the season.
The Orioles are 3-2 in their last five games and 3-2 in their last five games against the spread. They are also 39-30 in their road games against the spread. The totals have gone over in three out of their last five contests.
The totals have gone over in 35 out of their last 72 games at home. The Rays are 3-2 in their last five games and 5-0 in their last five games against the number. The Orioles are 81-60 overall straight up on the ML, while the Rays are 69-70.
