The Baltimore Orioles play host to the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday night in the third game of their four game series from Oriole Park. In the blink of an eye, the Orioles have jumped right into the American league Wild Card race and with the Rays staying ahead of them, each battle between the two is key going forward. Heading into this week's series, the Rays had won seven of 12 games between the two teams, though keeping that going as the Orioles continue to build momentum, seems like it could be a challenge. Even though this one has two teams who might not draw the most attention, it's one that baseball fans will surely want to tune in for, if they're able.
The Rays had one of the best season's in their history last season but so far in 2022, it has seemed to be a more difficult journey for this group. They remain a few handful of games behind the Yankees, and while that's nothing to be ashamed of given how strong New York has been this season, the Wild Card race is their key priority right now. Last year, the Rays went 18-1 against the Orioles and while that confidence and momentum likely remains, it hasn't been as smooth going this season. The two haven't been separated by much against each other and with the two being close in the standings as well, this week's series specifically is interesting. One concern remains Tampa Bay's ability to find wins on the road though, where they have a 21-26 record this season. Being on the road on Wednesday won't prove to be easy but the Rays will still relic their chances to show success against the Orioles.
The Rays' struggles in 2022 shouldn't come as a surprise to many though, especially considering the injury woes that they've had to navigate. Positionally, they continue to be with Mike Zunino (shoulder) and Kevin Kiermaier (labrum), while Wander Franco (wrist) remains out as well. Adding to that is a handful of woes within the pitching staff, both to starters and relievers, making it difficult for this group to find much consistency.
Worked like a Dawg to get to the pitch he wanted pic.twitter.com/v0isvSam9W
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) July 26, 2022
According to MLB.com, the Rays will lean on Drew Rasmussen to take the mound in this one. The righty has impressed this season, even if under the radar. He comes into this one with a 6-3 record and 3.13 ERA and is having a strong July so far, allowing multiple runs only once across four starts so far. In his lone start against Baltimore this season, he allowed two runs across four innings and the only worry against him is how deep he can go into Wednesday night's start.
Offensively, the Rays remain a team that has struggled to get things going for the most part. They rank in the bottom third of baseball in most offensive categories and rely heavily on their pitching to set the tone and come away with the win in a low-scoring affair. Yandy Diaz (.294 average, .408 OBP) leads the way atop the order, while it's an interesting mix of players in the middle of the lineup. Randy Arozarena (44 HRBI) continues to be dangerous, while Isaa c Paredes (13 HRs) has been a pleasant surprise. The drop off over the last week makes things interesting though and the hope is that they can bounce back in this one.