This Wednesday the (70-57) Tampa Bay Rays and the (55-73) Miami Marlins will play the second game of this three-game series. The first pitch will be thrown out at 6:40 PM EST inside loan Depot park. The last time these two teams matched up the Rays swept the Marlins in their short two-game series.
The Rays are coming into this one after losing their previous three-game series to the Boston Red Sox. The Rays struggled in the field and on the mound in the first two games that they lost. They will need to hold the Marlins when they are at the plate if they want to have a chance in this one.
The Miami Marlins are entering this one after losing their previous four-game series to the Los Angeles Dodgers. These games were closer than they looked, though. Miami continued to struggle at the plate, but their pitching kept them in the majority of those games. They will need to stay hot on the mound again i n this one if they want to get revenge on the Rays.
This game was written/published before last night's results.
The Tampa Bay Rays are currently 7-3 in their last 10, as their strong play has propelled them into the top AL Wild Card Spot. They are also still in second place in the AL East, as they are 7.0 games back from the first-place New York Yankees. Winning the division isn't out of the question for Tampa Bay, though.
At the plate, the Rays are scoring 4.30 runs per game and they are hitting .240 as a team. This is the 20th most runs scored per game and the 20th highest overall team batting average. They have struggled to consistently reach base, as this has also made it more difficult to score. They have to be better when they have men in scoring position, as well. Unfortunately, the Tampa Bay Rays have very little home run power hidden inside their lineup. The Rays are only hitting .92 bombs per game, which is the 21st lowest average in the MLB. They will also stay aggressive once they have reached base safely. They have already stolen 75 bases this season, which is the 12th most in the league.
According to MLB.com, the Rays will be starting Drew Rasmussen on the mound. He is currently 9-4 with a 2.77 ERA and a. 1.07 WHIP. He has now won four straight games and he has a 3-3 record on the road. He held his own in his last start, as well. He pitched for 5.1 innings but only gave up one earned run. He made it very difficult for the Angels batting lineup, as he continued to attack the strike zone. The Ray's bullpen has also been great this season. They are allowing 3.38 runs per game, which s the eighth lowest team bullpen ERA in the MLB. As a team, the Rays are allowing 3.87 runs per game. This is the sixth least amount of runs surrendered per game.