Charlie Cummings takes you through his preview, prediction and pick for Monday’s game between the Rays and Athletics.
Down the stretch run of the MLB season, there are a lot of games with playoff implications. But, at this stage, a Rays–Athletics contest isn’t going to change much.
On July 19th, the Rays won to move to 52-47, looking like a Wild Card contender. Then they lost nine of 11 games going into the trade deadline, shifting the front office to sell mode at 54-56. Tampa slid even further since, going 3-6 since the deadline to enter this game at 57-62. Despite the superlative play of Junior Caminero, this Rays season is inching closer to kaput.
They won’t be making the playoffs, but the Athletics are putting together a nice run, going 11-5 over their last 16. The offense has kicked into a new gear, fueled by rookie Nick Kurtz, who is hitting like prime Barry Bonds over the past month. The rebuild looks promising, and a good stretch run might encourage owner John Fisher to knock the dust off his checkbook.
The Athletics are a -113 moneyline favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook. The over/under is set at 10 runs. Let’s dig into a preview, prediction, and best bet for this Rays vs. Athletics game.
Rays vs. Athletics prediction, preview
There’s a small element of drama going into this game, as the Athletics’ starter faces his old team for the second time.
Jeffrey Springs was traded to the A’s in the offseason after four seasons in Tampa. He’s not going to be confused with an elite starter, but he’s poised to set a career-high innings pitched mark tonight, a significant accomplishment after two injury-plagued seasons. More of a command and break pitcher than a strikeout pitcher, he’s been reliable for an Athletics team searching for consistency from its pitching staff.
His opposite will be 27-year-old righty Ryan Pepiot. The former Dodgers prospect has turned in a second straight solid season, but one problem remains. The guy can’t stop giving up the long ball. His firm changeup hasn’t changed the fact that his fastball is getting tagged. It’s a minor miracle that he’s given up only 57 earned runs on the year while allowing 24 home runs. And that’s going to be a problem against this surging A’s offense.
The A’s have been a top-10 home run-hitting team this season. Tampa Bay has had a recent power surge, which does not bode well for Springs. Even if they keep the traffic down, the home runs will create problems for both starters in the early going.
Best Bet: Both teams to score 2+ runs in 1st 5 Innings (+120)