A pivotal four-game series unfolds in the American League on Tuesday as the Tampa Bay Rays (62-61, 4th AL East) face off against the Oakland Athletics (53-71, 4th AL West). The initial game of the series took place on Monday evening (Note: This article was published prior to Monday’s results). The Rays recently completed a sweep against the Diamondbacks at home, while the A’s managed to split two games in Oakland against the Giants. Earlier this season, these teams clashed in late May, with the Rays winning two out of three games on their home turf. Tampa Bay will send Shane Baz (4.21 ERA) to the mound, while Oakland counters with Joey Estes (4.72 ERA). The first pitch is scheduled for 9:40 PM EST at Oakland Coliseum.
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Tampa Bay’s Momentum Boost from Arizona Sweep
The Tampa Bay Rays enter this contest against the Athletics with a surge of confidence as they make a final push for a postseason berth. Currently holding fourth place in the AL East, the Rays boast a winning record and are eyeing a Wild Card position. They sit 6.5 games behind the last playoff spot and will need to keep their winning ways alive to remain in contention as September approaches. During their recent game against Arizona, they faced a tense moment, almost relinquishing a 6-0 lead, but ultimately secured a victory in the 12th inning thanks to an RBI-single from Dylan Carlson.
After the game, Carlson reflected on his game-winning hit, stating, “It was an exciting game, you could say. There were a lot of good things done in the game. A lot of contributions from a lot of guys.” Coming off the bench, Carlson has recorded three home runs and 20 RBIs this season. Brandon Lowe, who typically plays second base, switched to the designated hitter position and contributed two RBIs. With 16 homers and 48 RBIs, Lowe maintains a batting average of .256. Meanwhile, Yandy Diaz leads the team with a .273 batting average, also adding 10 home runs and 54 RBIs. Center fielder Jose Siri has 14 home runs, but his batting average rests at a low .196.
Shane Baz is set to make his eighth start of the season for Tampa Bay. The 25-year-old right-hander is still seeking his first official victory, holding an 0-2 record with an ERA of 4.21. He has tallied 32 strikeouts against 14 walks, allowing four home runs this year. In his most recent outing, Baz pitched seven innings, giving up three earned runs in a loss to the Astros.
Athletics’ Rise from the Depths of the AL West
The Oakland Athletics have recently climbed out of the cellar in the AL West after spending several weeks in last place. Surprisingly, the A’s have shown improvement, winning or tying their last four series. They took two of three games against the White Sox at home and followed up with a series victory on the road against both the Blue Jays and Mets, before splitting with the Giants. In their latest matchup against San Francisco, Miguel Andujar provided the team’s only RBI in a 4-2 loss.
Andujar, batting cleanup, has recorded four home runs and 30 RBIs this season, despite participating in only 69 of the 124 games played. Brent Rooker has emerged as the team’s standout power hitter, leading in both home runs (29) and RBIs (83) while also boasting the highest batting average at .292. He occupied the designated hitter spot in the last game. Shae Langeliers, the catcher, follows closely with 22 home runs, although he is currently in a slump after going 0-for-8 in the series against San Francisco. Daz Cameron led off in their previous game; however, he struggles at the plate with a batting average of .188 and five home runs this season.
Joey Estes will make his 17th start of the year for the Athletics. At just 22 years old, he holds a 5-5 record, with the team going 3-2 in his last five starts. Estes has an ERA of 4.72, with 66 strikeouts and 21 walks, while allowing 13 home runs. In his most recent performance, he pitched 5.1 innings, giving up three earned runs in a loss to the Mets.
Smart Bets for Tampa Bay Rays vs. Oakland Athletics
Oakland has quietly become one of the most favorable betting options over the last two weeks. Once at the bottom of the division, they have won three of their last four series and have not faced a sweep since the All-Star Break. The Athletics have shown they can piece together victories, especially at home with Estes on the mound. He possesses more experience than his Tampa counterpart Baz, having pitched double the innings. Estes has limited opponents to two or fewer earned runs in five of his last six outings, which will likely help contain the Tampa offense, particularly after the team traded away some key players at the deadline. While Tampa swept the Diamondbacks, that series felt somewhat unexpected, especially given their struggles prior to that, losing eight of their last ten games. As Baz takes the mound for Tampa, having allowed seven runs over his last two games, the Athletics may have a solid chance to make a statement in this matchup.
