- What: MLB Regular Season Game
- When: Thursday, August 22
- Who: Tampa Bay Rays vs. Oakland Athletics
- Time: 3:37 p.m. ET
- Where: Oakland Coliseum (Oakland, CA)
The Tampa Bay Rays will finish a four-game series on the road against the Oakland A’s on Thursday afternoon.
Thursday’s upcoming game at Oakland Coliseum is poised to be a crucial match for both teams.
Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays are struggling offensively this season, ranking 28th in runs scored, 26th in batting average, 19th in on-base percentage, and 27th in slugging.
Yandy Díaz has been the standout performer, batting .275 with a .332 on-base percentage. He has contributed 10 home runs, 54 RBIs, and 45 runs scored.
Brandon Lowe has also been reliable, hitting .248 with a .332 on-base percentage, along with 16 home runs, 48 RBIs, and 40 runs scored.
Lightning strikes twice ⚡ pic.twitter.com/hjjIzJzzHV
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) August 22, 2024
José Siri, despite a lower batting average of .195, has added 15 home runs, 39 RBIs, 12 stolen bases, and 41 runs scored.
Over the past week, Brandon Lowe has struggled at the plate, batting just .200 with a .286 on-base percentage. However, he still managed to hit two home runs, drive in four runs, and score four times.
Dylan Carlson has been more effective, batting .313 with a home run, three RBIs, two stolen bases, and a run scored. Yandy Díaz has been particularly hot, hitting .381 over the last week with three RBIs and two runs scored.
Regarding matchups, only one Rays player, Christopher Morel, has faced Osvaldo Bido, and he has gone 0-for-6 with a walk and two strikeouts.
Oakland Athletics
The Athletics rank 25th in the majors in runs scored, 27th in batting average, 24th in on-base percentage, and 18th in slugging. Brent Rooker has been a standout, batting .287 with 29 home runs, 83 RBIs, seven stolen bases, and 61 runs scored this season.
Shea Langeliers, despite a .227 batting average, has contributed 22 home runs, 61 RBIs, and 43 runs scored, with a .294 on-base percentage.
J.J. Bleday has also been solid, hitting .243 with a .325 on-base percentage, 16 home runs, 47 RBIs, and 58 runs scored.
Day Baseball ⚾️ pic.twitter.com/9ybAPx0IML
— Oakland A's (@Athletics) August 22, 2024
Recently, Bleday has been productive despite a .200 average over the past week, posting a .304 on-base percentage with two home runs, six RBIs, and four runs scored.
Seth Brown has been exceptional, hitting .500 over the last week with a .538 on-base percentage and two RBIs, though he has not scored a run.
Tyler Nevin has also been hitting well, with a .375 average and an RBI over the past week, but he, too, has yet to score. Against Jeffrey Springs, current Athletics hitters have 21 career at-bats, hitting .238 with a .333 on-base percentage.
Seth Brown is 2-for-5 with a home run, a walk, and an RBI, while Brent Rooker is 1-for-2 with a walk. Tyler Nevin is 1-for-3 with a walk as well.
Rays-A’s Best Bet
Osvaldo Bido has been impressive recently, allowing just three runs (two earned) over his last three starts. This has resulted in a stellar 1.00 ERA during that span and a 2-1 record.
As a starter, Bido has surrendered only ten earned runs across 25.2 innings, with seven of those coming in a single game.
Given the Rays’ struggles at the plate, Bido’s strong pitching could be the deciding factor in this matchup. I’d bet the A’s on the moneyline to get back in the win column.
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