Venue, Date & Start Time
Location: PNC Park — Pittsburgh, PA
First Pitch: 1:35 PM ET (ESPN pregame listing)
Weather: 44–51°F, partly cloudy, winds ~9 mph W (Fox Sports hourly gameday weather)
Injury Report
Tampa Bay Rays
Joe Boyle — 15‑Day IL (elbow)
Gavin Lux — 10‑Day IL (shoulder)
Garrett Cleavinger — 15‑Day IL (calf)
Michael Grove — 15‑Day IL (shoulder)
Ryan Pepiot — 60‑Day IL (hip)
Steven Wilson — 60‑Day IL (back)
Edwin Uceta — 15‑Day IL (shoulder)
Manuel Rodriguez — 60‑Day IL (elbow)
Pittsburgh Pirates
Jared Triolo — 10‑Day IL (knee)
Jared Jones — 60‑Day IL (elbow)
Team Records & Statistical Profile
Tampa Bay Rays (12–8)
AVG: .262
OBP: .337 (2nd in AL)
HR: 17
Runs/Game: 5.0
ERA: 4.37
OAV: .224
Pittsburgh Pirates (12–9)
AVG: .249
HR: 24
Runs/Game: 5.1
ERA: 3.22
OAV: .224
Recent Team Form
Rays — Last 5
W 8–7 @ PIT
L 5–1 @ PIT
W 5–3 @ CWS
W 8–3 @ CWS
W 8–5 @ CWS
Pirates — Last 5
L 8–7 vs TB
W 5–1 vs TB
L 8–7 vs WSH
W 2–0 vs WSH
L 5–4 vs WSH
Probable Pitching Matchup
TB — Shane McClanahan (LHP)
Record: 1–1
ERA: 3.95
WHIP: 1.17
Strikeouts: 13
PIT — Mitch Keller (RHP)
Record: 1–1
ERA: 2.86
WHIP: 1.23
Strikeouts: 14
Key Player Matchups
Tampa Bay Rays
Yandy Díaz: .354 AVG (team leader)
Junior Caminero: 2 HR in last 10 games
Brandon Lowe: 7 HR (team HR leader)
Pittsburgh Pirates
Oneil Cruz: 6 HR, 19 RBI, .302 AVG
Marcell Ozuna: 2 HR in last 10 games
Braxton Ashcraft: 27 K (team pitching leader)
Series History & Context
This is the rubber match of the three‑game series.
Rays won 8–7 on April 18; Pirates won 5–1 on April 17.
Both teams enter with nearly identical records (TB 12–8, PIT 12–9).
Pirates are 7–5 at home, Rays are 8–6 on the road.
Betting Trends
Pirates are 7–4 when scoring 5+ runs.
Rays have a .337 OBP, 2nd in AL — strong on‑base team.
Last 10 games:
PIT: 5–5, +10 run differential
TB: 7–3, even run differential
Game Odds
Tampa Bay Rays 7.5
Pittsburgh Pirates – 120
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Saturday, April 18, 2026
