Saturday night’s MLB slate finishes with a couple of games on the Pacific coast — at 9:40 p.m. EST, the Seattle Mariners (64-53) host the struggling Tampa Bay Rays (57-60). The M’s are rolling at the right time, but can they keep this winning streak up?
Here’s a Mariners vs. Rays prediction and pick for Saturday’s nightcap.
Mariners vs. Rays prediction, preview
Seattle loaded up at the Trade Deadline and added more talent than any team not named the San Diego Padres. Josh Naylor brings excellent play at first base and a reunion with Eugenio Suarez adds plenty of power to the lineup as an excellent bat against right-handers. The Mariners are 13-8 since the All-Star Game and 6-1 since integrating their new acquisitions into the lineup. They now enter this contest having won five straight games, and they’ve scored the 10th-most runs over the last week with a .731 team OPS as they shake off a relative slump at the plate. Plus, they’re only getting better with time.
The Rays are going down the opposite trajectory with a 7-13 record since the ASG and just two wins across their last 10 games. They’re hitting just .218 since the season resumed with a .654 OPS, the third-worst mark in baseball. Tampa Bay’s 75 runs over that sample also ranks fourth-worst, as do their 190 strikeouts. After a solid couple of months competing in the AL East, the Rays seem to have given up hope heading into the home stretch of the year.
On the mound tonight for Seattle is Logan Evans (4.30 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 53 SO), who’s had a rough go of it lately with an elevated 5.82 ERA and 1.56 WHIP over his last seven starts. He faces Tampa Bay’s Joe Boyle (2.30 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 26 SO), who’s thrown just 27.1 innings this year but boasts some solid rate stats in a limited sample.
Mariners vs. Rays pick, best bet
DraftKings Sportsbook lists the Mariners as -141 home favorites on the Moneyline. The Rays hold +116 odds to win outright with the run total set at eight.
The M’s won the opener of this series 3-2 behind seven hits as a team and a three-RBI homer from superstar catcher Cal Raleigh. Julio Rodriguez has put forth some inconsistent lines in the box score lately, but a better outing tonight feels probable and Suarez probably won’t go hitless again either. The Mariners should win this game, but we’re not going with the Moneyline pick here.
Instead, I’m targeting Logan Evans to record a win today at plus-money. While the rookie hasn’t played well overall in recent weeks, this matchup puts him in position to take the lead and hold on against a Rays team that hasn’t hit well whatsoever lately. Evans is 5-4 overall in 13 games this year and Seattle does keep showing improvement with better run support since the Trade Deadline. Boyle may pitch well, but the Mariners are a tough team to face and I feel confident Evans can get credit in this one.
Best bet: Logan Evans to record a win (+270)
Click the odds on this bet to tail!
