Out of Contention Teams Clash in Baltimore Showdown

Baltimore, MD – The Tampa Bay Rays and Baltimore Orioles face off this weekend in the second-to-last series of their disappointing seasons. Both teams were eliminated from playoff contention last week, falling short of the postseason aspirations they held at the beginning of the year.

Before the season began, the Rays were considered a strong contender in the AL East, while the Orioles were labeled as aiming for the World Series. However, the Rays’ struggles began with a poor July, where they went 7-18, dropping them to fourth place in their division.

The Rays have a solid pitching staff ranked in the top 10, but their hitting has been just average. Conversely, the Orioles sit near the bottom of the league in both offensive and pitching metrics. The main issue for the Rays appears to be luck in close games, particularly one-run contests.

At the deadline, Tampa Bay traded away key players, including José Caballero and Danny Jansen. Despite this, recognizable names like Yandy Díaz and Brandon Lowe remain on the roster. Notably, a recent announcement revealed that the team is being sold for approximately $1.7 billion, which brings hope for drastic changes in management.

The two teams have split their meetings this season, each winning five games. The current series serves as a way for both clubs to play for pride as they look ahead to the offseason. On the mound, Dean Kremer of the Orioles (4.39 ERA) will face Ryan Pepiot of the Rays (3.77 ERA) in the opener. Kremer has had an inconsistent year, but he has been a durable pitcher, while Pepiot has been solid since joining the team.

The match-up will also feature Shane Baz, who has missed significant time due to elbow surgeries, against Tyler Wells, who is returning from UCL surgery and has performed well in his outings. After that, Drew Rasmussen of the Rays will close the series against Cade Povich of the Orioles, with Rasmussen showcasing an impressive 2.80 ERA this season.

As both teams approach the end of the season, they look to finish strong against each other, perhaps igniting some pride in their fanbases as they prepare for the offseason.