The Tampa Bay Rays look to extend their dominance over the Orioles in the Memorial Day matchup

Happy Memorial Day to everyone. I hope your beers are cold, your grills are working and most of all that you have a fun and safe day. Take a moment to remember why we have this day, too. Many brave men and women gave their lives so that we can enjoy days like this, and we should think about them a little today too.

The Tampa Bay Rays are one of the best teams in baseball. I guess that shouldn’t shock me too much because the team has been one of the best in sports for many years. They somehow find a way to win no matter what team they have on the field. More than any franchise, they make diamonds with starting pitchers, and their team plays good, fundamental ball. This year, they are almost 20 games over .500 and lead the American League East. However, they were not good on the road.

With a 15-11 road record, it’s not like they’re bad, but they have room for improvement. Today’s starter, Shane McClanahan, is one of the best pitchers in baseball, but injuries have kept him sidelined for a few years. This season, he is pitching perfectly to a 5-2 record with a 2.82 ERA and 1.05 WHIP. His numbers are worse on the road, but really not that different than his home starts. He faced the Orioles last week and allowed four earned runs on six hits in five innings.

The Baltimore Orioles should have improved this year. They made several additions in the offseason and are looking to try to get back to the playoffs. The team is 23-29 on the year, and is in fourth place in the AL East. The team was 18-34 last year on Memorial Day, so there is at least some progress. However, they are already 12 games back of the Rays, which means they will need a lot of help if they want to make a run in the postseason.

Shane McClanahan of the Tampa Bay Rays pitches against the Milwaukee Brewers in the second inning at Tropicana Field in St. Louis. Petersburg, Fla., on May 19, 2023. (Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)

Looking to try to give him a little bit of that help is today’s starter Kyle Bradish. I read from X the sportsbook operator that their biggest commitment (before the season started) was for Bradish to win the Cy Young. I don’t think books should worry about that. Bradish is 2-6 with a 4.13 ERA and 1.51 WHIP. He has good things, but injuries also hurt him. He started 10 games this year, more than he did in the last two seasons. Honestly, most of his outings haven’t been bad, but the Orioles aren’t supporting him that much. He faced the Rays in his last game and allowed two earned runs on four hits over 5.1 innings.

This should be a great combination. Looking across the board, I’d say this might have been the best matchup of the day. That doesn’t mean it’s bound to be a pitcher’s duel, but on paper the signs point to that. I’ll stay out of the price, though.

Kyle Bradish of the Baltimore Orioles delivers a pitch during the second inning against the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago, Illinois, on May 26, 2024.

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I will support the rays. Tampa Bay swept Baltimore, so I’m sure the Orioles want revenge. Unfortunately, I don’t think they will do that against McClanahan. The Tampa pitcher didn’t have a good game last time out, but he rarely has two bad outings in a row. Bradish has been decent this year, but he’s also allowing a lot of traffic on the turning lanes into crooked numbers. Give me Rays and I will win.

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