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The Tampa Bay Rays and Philadelphia Phillies engaged in a tense pitcher's duel on Monday. While these two teams are going in opposite directions, one could hardly tell from how close the game was. The Phillies earned a close 2-1 win to continue their pursuit of baseball's best record.
These two teams don't face off all that much since they're not in the same league, but they are this week. With the Phillies off to a 1-0 start to the series, here's what you need to know for Tuesday's Game 2.
Rays vs. Phillies recent form and records
The Tampa Bay Rays, thanks to last night's loss, are just 5-5 in their last 10 games. That loss is the only one they have had because they are on a one-game losing streak presently. They're out of the playoff race as they are 12 games back of the AL East lead and five back of the third wild-card spot.
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Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Phillies are seven games up on the New York Mets in the NL East and tied with the Los Angeles Dodgers for baseball's best record. Their win plus the Dodgers' loss last night put that into effect. They're 7-3 in their last 10.
Players to watch
Starting pitchers
Taj Bradley (6-10, 4.40 ERA, 131 SO) vs. Ranger Suarez (12-6, 2.90 ERA, 132 SO)
Taj Bradley will start for the Rays, and he is 6-10 and boasts a 1.21 WHIP. His last start was seven innings, four runs and 10 strikeouts. Ranger Suarez is on the mound for the Phillies, and he is 12-6 and has a 1.07 WHIP. His last start was five shutout innings with three hits allowed.
Must-Watch Hitters
Rays
Yandy Diaz is slowly turning it around. The Rays infielder has 10 hits in 27 at-bats in the month of September. That has yielded five RBI and he also has four walks and two home runs since the calendar flipped.
Brandon Lowe had just one at-bat in the game yesterday, but he's the only Rays player who showed up. He smashed a home run, the only run scored by the team all night.
Jonny DeLuca is also hitting well lately. In the last week, he's had 28 at-bats, recording hits in 10 of them. He also has three extra-base hits, three RBI and a walk.
Phillies
Bryce Harper has nine hits over the last week. He also has two walks and three RBI during that time as he continues his excellent season.
Bryson Stott is red-hot. In his last seven days, the infielder has 11 hits in 30 at-bats. Four have gone for extra bases and he's racked up six RBI and a walk during a torrid week.
Brandon Marsh was 8/21 during the last week. The Phillies outfielder has three runs, two doubles, four walks and an RBI during that time, too.
Rays vs. Phillies baseball betting odds
Rays vs. Phillies expert picks and game prediction
These two teams are not only in virtually opposite standing positions (the Phillies are first and the Rays are fourth), but they're also not trending in the same direction. The Rays are two games under .500 and the Phillies are 7-3 in the last 10.
The pitching matchup also significantly favors the Phillies. When he's healthy, Suarez has been one of the best in baseball. Bradley hasn't, though his future is still bright.
It likely won't be an offensive onslaught for either team, but there's probably not going to be a close final score.
Prediction: Phillies 6, Rays 2.
