The Tampa Bay Rays have clinched a playoff spot earlier in the series and have won both games of the doubleheader against the Baltimore Orioles in Camden Yards. They will send Charlie Morton to the mound as he tries to bounce back from his last start against Boston where he allowed three runs over 4.1 innings of work. The Orioles will counter with Jorge Lopez, who is coming off his best start of the year against the Atlanta Braves where he pitched seven innings of one-run ball. Lopez has faced the Rays this season where he pitched a scoreless inning of relief.
The Rays will try to make sure they stay healthy as the regular season comes to a close but will try to get closer to clinching the AL East and guarantee themselves a top-three seeding in the playoffs. They would also guarantee the best-of-three playoff series would be played in Tropicana Field before heading to either San Diego or Los Angeles depending on seeding and officially enter the bubble. Baltimore is still mathematically alive for a Wild Card spot but would need a lot to go their way to do so. They can get on base early and often as they lead the AL in OBP on the first pitch of an at-bat with .414 and could be irritants to the Rays’ plan.
What to Expect From Charlie Morton
The 36-year old veteran right-hander seems to be mulling the idea of retirement after saying this could potentially be his last season in the majors. He has been a subpar pitcher this season and has a 4.76 ERA in three September starts. He hasn’t seen the Orioles since July 2019 so he doesn’t have much lifetime numbers against these guys. Hanser Alberto leads the team with a pair of hits in six tries off him.
In 2020, he is averaging just four innings of work per start and that makes the Rays have to use a good amount of arms out of the bullpen. He has a 1.36 WHIP this season as well so batters have been getting on base against him. They also have an average exit velocity of 90.6 MPH and a 36.4 hard-hit percentage this season. He gives up a homer every seven innings this year as well so that’s one of the few positives he can give on the mound. All in all, he isn’t doing well after having his best three-season stretch from 2017-2019 but will give the Rays a professional outing every time he takes the hill.
To The Mountcastle!
Ryan Mountcastle has everything pointing in the right direction to be a solid major leaguer for the Baltimore Orioles for years to come. This season he is 31-for-89 (.348) with five HR and 21 RBI. He has been raking as of late too with a .375 average and .625 slugging in his last 15 games. When he puts the bat on the ball, you expect him to end up on base as he has a .413 BABIP as well.
He hasn’t faced Charlie Morton yet in his young career but Morton’s pitch selection doesn’t seem to be anything that will trouble Mountcastle. He has solid numbers at Camden Yards as well with a .341/.404/.545 slash line with 13 RBI. He looks like the answer to who will play first base once Baltimore can get out of the Chris Davis contract. Look for Ryan Mountcastle to be a star in this game and throughout the next decade.
Notable Trends
From Covers.com
- Baltimore: 5-1 last 6 at home in series.
- Tampa Bay: 3-4 when Morton is pitching
