One team is chasing the leaders in baseball’s toughest division while the other leads the weakest division. The Rays will be hungry after dropping a close one Tuesday night to the Twins. Both probable starters have had troubled seasons and are trying to reestablish themselves in their rotations. Bradley for the Rays was recalled September 3rd. In his two starts he doesn’t have a decision, but his team won both games and his ERA is a respectable 3.98. Lefthander Keuchel for the Twins has only been back in the majors since August 6th after being let go in early September/22 by the Rangers. His starts have been uneven, but he has managed to stick around. In his last three his ERA is 4.30.
Keuchel will be in tough against the Rays as they have hit lefties hard this season with the 9th best average and the 10th best OPS against LHP. The Rays are 21-8 against LH starters this season.
The Rays have a +1 run/ 9 innings differential vs. LH and a +2 run/9 innings differential over their last 7 games. It should prove to be a long night for Keuchel even though he only averages 4 innings pitched over his last 5 starts. All of Bradley’s last 5 starts have been 5 innings or longer except for one. Go with the Rays on this one.