Tampa Bay Rays vs
San Francisco GiantsPredictions & Preview

Key Pitching Matchup between Rays and Giants to Determine Outcome of Weekend Series

This content provides a detailed overview of the upcoming weekend series between the Tampa Bay Rays and the San Francisco Giants, scheduled to conclude on Sunday, August 17th. The Rays currently hold fourth place in the American League East division, while the Giants are positioned in fourth in the National League West. Both teams are trailing in the playoff race by at least five games and are considered unlikely to make it to the postseason. The pitching matchup will feature Ryan Pepiot for the Rays and Logan Webb for the Giants, with the game set to begin at 4:05 P.M. EST.

Betting Odds

• Moneyline: Rays +140 | Giants -159
• Spread: Rays +1.5 (-156) | Giants -1.5 (+135)
• Total: Over/Under 7.5 (-110)
• Based on the moneyline, the implied probability that San Francisco will win straight-up is 61%.

Tampa Bay Rays

Currently, the Tampa Bay Rays are in fourth place in the American League East division, trailing the Blue Jays by at least 12 games for first place. They are also five games out of a wild card spot. The Rays have struggled on the road this season, being below .500 in away games. However, they have won five of their last nine games entering Saturday night. Ryan Peipot will start for the Rays against the Giants on Sunday, boasting an 8-9 record with a 3.86 ERA in 25 starts. The team is 10-15 in games where Peipot has played this season. In his last start on Aug. 11 against the Athletics, Peipot pitched 6.1 innings and allowed four runs on five hits in a 7-4 win. He has a 4.34 ERA in road games and a 1.55 ERA against National League clubs in five starts. The Rays have a .251 batting average overall, ranking ninth in the league. They are the 13th ranked scoring offense and rank ninth in hits. The team is 15th in home runs hit and has struck out the 20th most times. On the road, they are hitting .245 and have a .228 batting average since the All-Star break and a .229 average in August. Against National League clubs, they have a .245 batting average.

San Francisco Giants

The San Francisco Giants currently hold fourth place in the National League West, trailing the division-leading Dodgers by 10 games. They are also five games out of a wild card spot. The Giants have struggled at home this season, with a below .500 record. As of Saturday, they have lost six straight games. Logan Webb will be starting on Sunday, with a 10-9 record and a 3.34 ERA in 25 starts. In his last outing, he allowed four runs and eight hits in a 4-1 loss to the Padres. The Giants have a 12-13 record when Webb is on the mound this year, and a 6-7 record at home. Despite Webb's strong performance at home with a 3.01 ERA, his ERA has increased to 5.14 since the All-Star break. The Giants rank sixth worst in the league with a .233 batting average, scoring the sixth fewest runs and the third fewest hits. They have hit the fourth fewest home runs as well. Their batting average is .230 at home and .239 against National League clubs. In the second half of the season, their average drops to .245, and in August it is .239.

Giants vs. Rays: Logan Webb Key to Sunday's Game Victory Prediction

Two teams currently ranked mid-table in their respective conferences are the Rays and the Giants, possibly facing elimination from playoff contention without a significant winning streak. The outcome of Sunday's game is likely to be determined by Logan Webb's pitching performance. Despite Webb's consistent performance this season, the Giants' offense has been a limiting factor. With Webb's impressive 3.01 home ERA this year, he is expected to drive the team to victory. On the other hand, the Rays have struggled offensively, hitting just .228 since the break and .229 in August, unable to score enough runs against the Giants' offense, which boasts a .245 batting average in the latter half of the season. Hence, a prediction in favor of the Giants covering the game seems plausible.

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