The Baltimore Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays will take the field on Wednesday at Tropicana Field. First pitch is at 12:10 p.m. ET.
Baltimore (44-27 SU and 45-26 RL) is starting righty Tyler Wells. The 28-year-old is 6-2 with a 3.20 ERA and a 0.86 WHIP in 14 appearances (13 starts) this year.
Tampa Bay (51-24 SU and 42-33 RL) is starting right-hander Taj Bradley. The 22-year-old is 4-3 with a 4.19 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP in his nine outings.
Baltimore has won seven of its last ten games, including a series sweep of Kansas City and a series victory over Toronto. The Orioles are just five games behind the Rays in the AL East standings.
Baltimore scores 4.93 runs per game (9th) and hits .256 (12th) with a .749 OPS (9th). It's hit 84 homers (13th) and stolen 56 bases (9th) this year. The Orioles pitching staff has posted a 4.17 ERA (15th) and a 1.32 WHIP (19th) with 24 quality starts.
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Wells will take the mound for the visitors in the second game of the two-game series. The third-year pro has won his last three outings, holding San Francisco, Kansas City, and Toronto to six total runs in 18.2 combined innings. He has surrendered three or fewer runs in eleven of his starts this year. Wells, who boasts an 82:16 K:BB ratio in 2023, is 0-2 with a 6.45 ERA in eight career appearances (four starts) against Tampa Bay.