So here's the story: Tampa Bay Rays go head-to-head with the Cleveland Guardians where the fates have favored the Guardians with a home advantage at Progressive Field. Now, given that the Field's pitcher-friendly index slightly leans towards the pitchers, let's flip the pages for a glance at our starting pitchers - the Rays' Drew Rasmussen who brings a glittering 2.93 ERA and 10.8K/9 from his 11 appearances this season, and the Guardians' own Joey Cantillo is on the other side of the scale with a 6.24 ERA and 9.2K/9 over his 6 appearances. It’s ironic really, our Cantillo should be at an advantage given the park but life doesn’t always deal with the hand we expect.
Let's give our players their due now, and the Rays’ top players this season show a noble leadership with Yandy Diaz leading the pack. Jonny Deluca and Brandon Lowe are making strides too. On the flip side for Guardians, Lane Thomas, Kyle Manzardo, and Jhonkensy Noel make up the dream team looking to make history.
Looking back, we see the Rays have had the upper hand in claims against the Guardians in the past, even on their home turf, but the Guardians own the regular season records with a decent 84 to 64 wins. Recently, both teams have had their ups and downs, Rays with a slight inconsistency, and Guardians losing to Rays but having a successful run against Chicago.
So, for a prediction? I'd back the horse that's been running better on the track. Good ol’ Cantillo should be downing his sorrows in a hearty Cleveland sandwich as the Rays' superior pitching and peaking players help them swim out of the flow.
Albert’s Prediction: Tampa Bay Rays by 2