The Tampa Bay Rays (64-63, 4th AL East) continue their west coast road trip on Saturday, facing off against the Los Angeles Dodgers (76-52, 1st NL West) in the heart of Chavez Ravine at Dodger Stadium. After a tough loss to the Oakland Athletics, where they fell 3-1 in the series finale on Thursday, Tampa Bay split their four-game series with the A’s. Currently, they sit 10 ½ games behind first place in the American League East and trail the third and final AL wildcard position by 7 games. On the other hand, the Dodgers recently triumphed over the Seattle Mariners, winning 8-4 on Wednesday and completing a three-game sweep. Riding a four-game winning streak, Los Angeles leads the National League West by four games. However, Tampa Bay will be without three pitchers and position players Richard Palacios and Wander Franco, while Los Angeles will miss eight pitchers and catcher Austin Barnes.
Note: This article was composed prior to the teams’ Friday night matchup.
Tampa Bay’s Hitting Struggles and Pitching Challenges
The Rays have encountered significant challenges at the plate, ranking 19th in on-base percentage (.307) and 27th in batting average (.230). Their slugging percentage of .367 puts them in 28th place, with a total of 489 runs scored. Leading the team in home runs are Jose Siri and Brandon Lowe, each with 16 homers. Yandy Diaz tops the list in runs batted in, accumulating 55. However, Christopher Morel, a recent trade addition, has struggled, hitting just .167 with two home runs in 19 games. Across 127 games, Tampa Bay has recorded 203 doubles, 15 triples, and 115 home runs, resulting in 333 extra-base hits.
On the pitching front, Tampa Bay ranks seventh in WHIP (1.22) and 12th in ERA (3.89). Opposing hitters have a .240 batting average against them. Despite being 26th in Quality Starts with 37, Ryan Pepiot leads the team with 7 wins, while Zack Littell stands out with 116 strikeouts and the best ERA among starting pitchers at 3.89. Saturday’s starting pitcher for the Rays will be Taj Bradley, who has a current record of 6-8 and an ERA of 3.55, along with 114 strikeouts this season.
Los Angeles: A Force to Reckon With
The Dodgers have established themselves as a formidable opponent in multiple offensive categories, ranking within the top 10 in four key hitting metrics. They sit 4th in on-base percentage (.330), runs scored (630), and slugging percentage (.435), alongside a 10th place ranking in batting average (.252). Shohei Ohtani leads the Dodgers with 39 home runs and 88 RBIs, while Teoscar Hernandez closely follows with 26 homers and 81 RBIs. Remarkably, six players on the team boast between 45 and 88 RBIs. In 128 games, Los Angeles has achieved 238 doubles, 20 triples, and 172 home runs, totaling 430 extra-base hits.
On the pitching side, Los Angeles excels with the 3rd best batting average allowed (.232) and ranks 5th in WHIP (1.21). Their team ERA stands at 3.73, placing them 10th, while they hold 20th position in Quality Starts with 43. Gavin Stone leads the Dodgers with 11 wins and an ERA of 3.44 among starting pitchers. Tyler Glasnow has recorded the most strikeouts on the team with 168. Veteran pitcher Clayton Kershaw will take the mound on Saturday, holding a record of 2-2, an ERA of 2.63, a WHIP of 1.25, and 19 strikeouts.
Insightful Bets for Tampa Bay Rays vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles has a strong momentum, winning five of their last six games and maintaining a six-game home winning streak. They have also dominated American League teams, winning five consecutive matchups. The Dodgers excel in key offensive categories, ranking 4th overall in runs scored, slugging percentage, and on-base percentage. Their pitching staff is equally impressive, with the 3rd best batting average allowed and the 6th lowest ERA in the league. In stark contrast, Tampa Bay struggles significantly, ranking 28th in runs scored and slugging percentage, alongside a 27th place in batting average. They do hold the 12th position in ERA, however. Starter Taj Bradley has faced difficulties in his recent outings, allowing 26 hits and 18 earned runs over his last four starts. This poor performance has contributed to Tampa Bay’s losses in all four games. Meanwhile, Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers has demonstrated consistent strength in his last three appearances, permitting just 12 hits and two runs across 16.1 innings, leading to two wins for Los Angeles.
