The Baltimore Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays will play the second game of a four-game series on Friday at Tropicana Field. First pitch is at 6:40 p.m. ET.
Baltimore (58-37 SU and 57-38 RL) is starting right-hander Kyle Bradish. The 26-year-old is 6-4 with a 3.05 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP in 17 outings this year.
Tampa Bay (60-39 SU and 51-48 RL) is countering with Zach Eflin. The 29-year-old is 10-5 with a 3.59 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP in his 18 starts.
The Rays are -160 moneyline favorites and the game total is eight runs scored.
The Orioles lost two of three games versus the Dodgers in their last series, but it was still enough to move up the AL East standings into a first-place tie with the Rays. Who will end the week on top?
Baltimore scores 4.98 runs per game (8th) and hits .255 (12th) with a .751 OPS (9th). It's hit 114 homers (12th) and stolen 66 bases (16th) in 2023. The O's pitching staff has a 4.22 ERA (16th) and a 1.31 WHIP (19th) with 36 quality starts (11th).
Gunnar Homerson pic.twitter.com/bAU12olD7W
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) July 19, 2023
Bradish will take the hill for the visitors on Friday evening. The second-year pro sports an 87:24 K:BB ratio in 2023. He lasted 7.1 frames in his last start, holding Miami to three hits and zero runs with eight strikeouts in a win. The former fourth-round draft pick has allowed two or fewer runs in six consecutive outings and hasn't surrendered more than three runs since May 23 (four runs vs. NYY).