Garion Thorne gives you a preview, prediction and pick for today\u2019s game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Tampa Bay Rays.<\/p>\n
The Rays just can\u2019t stop winning.<\/p>\n
Thanks primarily to a gem from Griffin Jax, who has successful transitioned back to the role of a starter, Tampa secured a series win on Tuesday with a 4-1 victory over the Orioles. The Rays\u2019 .681 winning percentage isn\u2019t just the best mark in the AL, it\u2019s the best mark in all of baseball, which is a shocking result for a club that almost no one picked to reach the playoffs in 2026.<\/p>\n
Can Tampa complete the sweep on Wednesday afternoon? Let\u2019s break it all down and preview this AL East clash with a couple picks on the DraftKings Sportsbook.<\/p>\n
Orioles vs. Rays prediction, preview<\/p>\n
It feels like Shane Baz will be the main character of today\u2019s contest.<\/p>\n
A former top prospect in the Rays\u2019 system, Baz was traded to Baltimore this winter, then was extended by the Orioles to the tune of a five-year, $68 million contract. The return on investment has not been amazing so far. As always, Baz\u2019s raw stuff is electric, but the results have been quite underwhelming. Across nine starts and 51.1 innings, Baz sports a 5.26 ERA and a 1.52 WHIP. Maybe more concerning is the complete lack of swing and miss from opponents. The 26-year-old\u2019s 18.4% strikeout rate is easily a career-low, and a 17th percentile whiff rate (20.4%) unfortunately backs up that disappointing figure. Heck, in his last three outings, Baz nearly has as many walks allowed (11) and strikeouts (13). That\u2019s never going to be a successful pitching formula at this level.<\/p>\n
Now, it\u2019s not like Tampa didn\u2019t try and replace Baz in their rotation after he was dealt. In fact, the Rays spent some real money this offseason on the likes of Nick Martinez and Steven Matz, with the latter having recently found himself on the 15-day IL with an elbow issue. That\u2019s necessitated the presence of Jesse Scholtens making starts \u2014 or at the very least, working as a \u201cbulk\u201d option behind an opener \u2014 but with Matz being reinstated this morning, that\u2019s now a thing of the past. Matz did not go on a rehab assignment, which means his last pitch was thrown back on May 3 against the Giants, in a game where the veteran LHP went six innings and allowed just a single earned run. For 2026 as a whole, Matz has been fine enough, though his 4.83 FIP is almost a full-run higher than his 3.86 ERA. That\u2019s simply a reflection of an unsustainable .218 opponent BABIP.<\/p>\n
If regression or rust is an issue for Matz on Wednesday, Tampa will need to rely a little bit extra on it\u2019s surprisingly effective lineup. Despite sitting dead-last in the league in hard hit rate (33.0%), barrel rate (4.7%) and expected slugging percentage (.364), Tampa is in possession of the fourth-best offense in the month of May by wRC+ (116). That\u2019s mainly due to a league-high .284 batting average within that span. Is this sustainable? That\u2019s unclear. However, don\u2019t immediately dismiss this roster as a collection of Chandler Simpson types. The truth of the matter is that Yandy Diaz, Junior Caminero and Jonathan Aranda are really, really good at hitting. If that trio is pulling their weight at the top of the order, this is a scary group.<\/p>\n
Orioles vs. Rays pick, best bet<\/p>\n