MLB Game Preview: Tampa Bay Rays (58-62) vs. Athletics (53-68)

Game Overview

• Date & Time: Tuesday, August 12 – 10:05 PM ET
• Location: Sutter Health Park, West Sacramento, CA
• Series Status: Game 2 of 3 (Rays lead 1–0; season series tied 2–2)
• Broadcast: MLB.tv, NBC Sports California, Bally Sports Sun

Pitching Matchup

Team	Starter	Record	ERA	WHIP	K/BB	Notes
Rays	Shane Baz	8–8	4.92	1.34	133/42	High strikeout upside, but inconsistent command
Athletics	Jacob Lopez	5–6	3.59	1.25	94/28	Solid lefty; 2.88 ERA at home

• Edge: Lopez — better ERA and home splits, but Baz has higher strikeout ceiling

Team Form & Key Stats

Tampa Bay Rays

• Record: 58–62 (4th in AL East)
• Road Record: 26–32
• Last 10: 4–6 (.223 AVG, 4.08 ERA, -7 run diff)
• Top Performers:

• Junior Caminero: 33 HR, 20 doubles, .262 AVG
• Brandon Lowe: 4 HR in last 10 games
• Nick Fortes: 2-for-4, 2 RBI in Game 1

Athletics

• Record: 53–68 (5th in AL West)
• Home Record: 23–35
• Last 10: 5–5 (.288 AVG, 3.78 ERA, +16 run diff)
• Top Performers:

• Tyler Soderstrom: 3-run HR in Game 1
• Shea Langeliers: 12 HR since All-Star break
• Brent Rooker: 20 HR, 61 RBI

Betting Insights

• Trend: Rays snapped 3-game losing streak with Game 1 win; Athletics are 3–4 at home post-break
• Lean: Over 10 — both teams have power bats and mid-tier starting pitching

Angle

• Momentum: Rays rallied with 15 hits in Game 1; Athletics have dropped 3 straight at home
• X-Factor: Caminero and Lowe vs. Lopez’s cutter; Baz’s fastball command
• Projection: Rays 6, Athletics 5 — expect a close, high-scoring game with late bullpen impact