1:10 pm
September 16

Nationals @ Rays

Who will WIN this matchup?

Washington Nationals (17-29)

@ Tampa Bay Rays (31-17)

 

Starting Pitchers:

Voth (WSH): 0-5; 7.99 ERA

Fairbanks (TB) 4-3; 3.00 ERA (opener)

 

Current odds:

Washington Nationals: (+155)

Tampa Bay Rays: (-170)

 

• With just 12 games left in the regular season, Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash believes his team’s speed could have a big impact in winning the division and advancing in the playoffs. The Rays (31-17) conclude their quick two-game series against the Washington Nationals (17-29) on Wednesday afternoon at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla. And if the matinee turns out anything like the series opener — a 6-1 win by the Rays — the club’s fleet feet will be on display again. Five different players stole bases as the Rays swiped five bags — the most by the team in two years — as they improved to 23-10 against right-handed starting pitching. In the first 28 games this season, the club stole just 10 bases. But Rays baserunners have snagged 27 bases over the last 20 contests.

• Leading the way is first-year Rays outfielder Manuel Margot, who had a two-hit night and stole a bag. The former San Diego Padre is 12-for-14 in stolen base attempts in his first season with the first-place team, which holds a four-game lead over the New York Yankees in the American League East.

• The Rays used the “opener” strategy — where a reliever starts the game on the mound with a starting pitcher following — for the fourth time Tuesday and improved to 4-0 this season after going 26-17 utilizing it last year. They will turn to it again Wednesday with Peter Fairbanks (4-3, 3.00 ERA) opening the game and left-hander Josh Fleming (3-0, 4.12) following him. Fairbanks, who took both losses in the four-game home split with Boston over the weekend, will be making his first career appearance against the Nationals.

• Washington will send out Austin Voth (0-5, 7.99) for his ninth start of the season and first ever appearance against Tampa Bay. The right-hander hasn’t turned in a strong outing since his second start this year on Aug. 8 when he held the Baltimore Orioles to one hit over five scoreless innings in a 5-3 loss in Washington. In his last outing on Thursday against the Atlanta Braves, Voth yielded three runs on a pair of hits with four strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings pitched.

6/10
Confidence
StreakSmarter Pick
Tampa Bay Rays
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