In this article, we will formulate a Tampa Bay Rays vs Oakland Athletics prediction for this MLB game on Thursday, May 30th at Tropicana Field.
Oakland Offense Needs to Be Better
The Oakland offense only scored three runs on Wednesday and that led to the defeat. Joey Estes did have a strong game going five innings giving up two hits and one run. Miguel Andujar finished with two hits and two RBIs. Oakland is averaging 3.72 runs per game while their pitching is giving up 4.8 runs per game. The offense is ranked 27th in the league while the pitching is ranked 26th. They do have a negative run differential of -1.07 which is 27th in the league. Brent Rooker is having a huge season and he has hit 11 home runs and driven in 34 RBIs so far this season. The A’s will meet the Braves after this series.
Why the A’s Will Win
- The Rays have lost seven of their last eight games against AL West opponents following a win.
- The Athletics have won four of their last five games against AL East opponents following a loss.
- The Rays have failed to cover the run line in 12 of their last 13 home games against AL West opponents.
- The road team has covered the run line in seven of the Athletics’ last eight games.
Rays need This Win
The Rays were able to secure the victory on Wednesday against the A’s 4-3 and they are going to look for a win again in this game. The Rays scored a run in the bottom of hte 9th to secure the win. Brandon Lowe finished with two hits and one RBI. The Rays are averaging 3.89 runs while their pitching is giving up 4.8 runs per game. The offense is ranked 25th in the league while the pitching is ranked 25th. For a team with such high expectations heading into the season the stats just haven’t been good enough. Isaac Parades has hit nine home runs and driven in 29 RBIs so far this season. The Rays will face the Orioles, Marlins, Orioles, and Cubs following this series.
Shawn Armstrong Needs to be Lights Out Here
Getting the start for the Rays will be Shawn Armstrong who comes into this game with a 1-1 record and an ERA of 3.91. In his last appearance he went 1.0 innings giving up one hit and one run. He is being used as an opener.
Why Rays Will Win
- The Athletics have lost each of their last seven games against American League opponents following a road loss.
- The Rays have won 15 of their last 16 Thursday day games against teams that held a losing record.
- The Athletics have failed to cover the run line in seven of their last eight games following a road loss.
- The Rays have led after 3 innings in each of their last five Thursday games.
Tampa Bay Rays vs Oakland Athletics Prediction
The Rays haven’t been good this season,and this is a perfect spot to take the Athetlcis. The Athletics offense at times has shown signs of life and this is going to be one of those games that they do that. Look for the Rays offense to really struggle here, and that will be the difference here as Oakland is going to get the job done. Back the Athletics to collect the win. There is just too much value here.