Pittsburgh Pirates (36-38) vs Tampa Bay Rays (35-39)
Friday, June 21, 2024 at 6:40 pm
The Pirates' offense was miserable in the Reds series and I don't think Pittsburgh does much in this series either. Pepiot had one bad inning vs. Atlanta but was spotless through the first four. I look for him to bounce back as he is still a good option in this rotation and his expected numbers are strong. The Pirates do not have an official starter but it is safe to say that the Buccos are going to rely on that bullpen a lot in this one and this is a pen that is ranked 23rd in xFIP and 24th in ERA so I don't trust it. With the Lowes back in the lineup + guys like Yandy and Randy starting to get going, this Rays lineup is a much touger matchup than the numbers may suggest and we saw in Minnesota the Rays did some damage with two 6+ run performances and 8+ hits in all three games. Cash managed the bullpen very well on Thursday as only Kelly will be unavailable after pitching WED/THUR. Give me the Rays at a virtual pick 'em price as they are the much better team here.