Albert
·
1d
My Prediction
Tampa Bay Rays by 3Alright ladies and gents, let's jump to the heart of it. We've got the Baltimore Orioles flapping feathers against the Tampa Bay Rays at the Tropicana Field over in Sunshine State, Florida. Friendly for pitchers, that place, as the Park Factor would whisper to those in the know.
Gearing up on the mound for the Orioles today is Dean Kremer. Arrowing down the season with a respectable 4.39 ERA and a WHIP of 1.32 over 19 games, not the most enviable task against the streaking Rays who have Zack Littell ready. This man's been hitting an ERA of just 3.51 and a WHIP of 1.08 this season, also in 19 games. So, anyone's guess who'll outpitch whom in this duel!
Peeling back the batting layers, the Orioles come flapping in with some serious talons like Ramon Laureano, Gunnar Henderson, and Colton Cowser to scratch up some runs. Laureano leads the flock with a .303 batting average, while Cowser is cruising with a nice little .273 batting average. Now, we'd be remiss if we didn't tip our cap to Junior Caminero from the Rays. Boasting a juicy .276 average, with 19 RBIs and 8 home runs, he's as good a threat as any on the plate.
Looking back towards history, these two have ricocheted all manner of numbers off each other. The most recent encounter went strongly in Rays' favor with a 11-1 thumping, but the Orioles returned the favor with a 5-1 win when the venue was back in Baltimore. So, the home advantage might just balance the scales here.
Statically speaking, the Rays have shown a bit more sauce this regular season with a 50-47 record compared to the Orioles at 43-52. It looms over this matchup like a raincloud over a picnic.
Based on recent performance, our feathered friends have suffered mixed fortunes compared to the Rays. They've been in choppy waters with a tight loss to Boston but have conjured up a good win against the Orioles. Meanwhile, the Orioles have experienced inconsistency that could get the best of them.
So, drumroll, please. Get your bets ready, your hot dogs hot, and your sodas popped. As the dust settles on this one, I foresee the Tampa Bay Rays soaking up the home advantage and coming out with the win, however, the Orioles won't be easy pickings.
Albert’s Prediction: Tampa Bay Rays by 3