Littell And Rays Will Sting Orioles

Orioles vs. Rays, 7:05 ET

The first half of the baseball season is really long. There were almost 100 games played by teams, and now there are only 60-something remaining for most. The trade deadline is rapidly approaching and teams need to figure out what they will do. Now that there are three Wild Card teams, we have a harder time discovering who is going to be a seller and who will be a buyer. Last year the Orioles were buyers, and the Rays were kind of sellers, but it didn't make a ton of sense what they were doing. The two square off today.

If I was guessing, the Orioles will likely sell their assets. There are some bats and a couple of arms that are likely to be on the move from Baltimore. This season they just have never really gotten things going. The pitching hasn't been good, and the hitting has been average at best. Last year the ownership said something about how they wouldn't be able to keep everyone and changes were going to have to happen at some point. I personally think this is karma's way of kicking the Orioles in the crotch. You're a billionaire making billions a year on a baseball team, spend some freaking money. Today, they send out Dean Kremer who could generate some interest if he was put on the market. Kremer is 8-7 for the season with a 4.24 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP. Kremer isn't a strikeout pitcher, but he also doesn't tend to walk a ton of guys either, so if you're going to get him, a team with a good defense would benefit him greatly. He has been a worse pitcher on the road than at home this year, with an ERA almost touching six. He has faced Tampa twice this season, holding them to just seven hits and one earned run in 12 innings of work. 

ARLINGTON, TX - OCTOBER 10:  Dean Kremer #64 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches during Game 3 of the Division Series between the Baltimore Orioles and the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on Tuesday, October 10, 2023 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

The Rays keep on trucking, and if I had to guess, they are likely to sell and then win more games. Certain teams just know how to make things work. The Rays do more with less than most teams are able to do with unlimited resources. That doesn't mean they are going to make the playoffs, and they might not even compete for the playoffs when it is all said and done. However, the fact that they are within a good week of leading the division, it is hard to see them fully giving up. They did end the first half on a bad note, losing four straight to the Red Sox, but maybe an extended break is all they needed. Today they march Zack Littell to the bump. He had a nice first half of the season with an 8-7 record, 3.56 ERA, and a 1.08 WHIP. He is similar to Kremer in the fact that there will be a lot of balls in play with him on the mound. He has been more consistent though and put together more reliable starts. He has faced Baltimore twice and allowed just four earned runs in 13 innings on 10 total hits. 

I would probably lean to the under on both pitcher's strikeouts in this game, but it is a little questionable. Sometimes they can find a groove, but if it is 5.5 for Littell, I'd back the under. For the full game, I'm taking the Rays, I think they are the better team, and probably have the better pitcher today. Let's back the Rays on the moneyline and maybe sprinkle that run line as well. 

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