This matchup features two teams still in the hunt for a division title in their respective divisions as the Seattle Mariners travel to take on the Tampa Bay Rays in game two of a four-game series in which the Mariners won game one by a score of 1-0. Will the Mariners extend their winning streak to three games or will the Rays bounce back from their game one loss against the Mariners? Let’s take a closer look at how these teams are faring this season. 

The Seattle Mariners enter this game with a record of 79-61 which puts them in 2^nd place in the AL West and .5-game behind the Houston Astros for 1^st place in the AL West while maintaining a 2-game lead in the AL Wild Card races. The Mariners have compiled a record of 3-4 in September and are on a two-game winning streak which includes a 1-0 win on the road against the Tampa Bay Rays in game one of the series on Thursday. The Lone run for the Mariners came in the 2^nd inning when Eugenio Suarez scored off a base hit from Mike Ford.

Tampa Bay enters this game with a record of 85-56 which puts them 4 games behind the Baltimore Orioles for 1^st place in the AL East and gives them a 7.5-game lead in the American League Wild Card race. The Rays have compiled a record of 3-4 in September and saw their two-game winning streak come to an end with a 0-1 loss at home in game one of the series against the Seattle Mariners on Thursday which was Tampa Bay’s 6^th shutout loss of the season.

BookMaker has the Seattle Mariners listed as -115 money line favorites on the road against the Tampa Bay Rays for game two of the series on Friday. Tampa Bay has won six of the last ten and has won by an average margin of 1.3 runs per game in those matchups while Seattle has won the previous three matchups in a row and has won by an average margin of 2.33 runs per game in those contests.

Seattle has the advantage at pitcher on Friday as the Mariners will send George Kirby to the mound while the Rays will send Taj Bradley to the mound for game two of the series. Kirby is 10-9 this season with a 3.39 ERA while recording 145 strikeouts while Bradley is 5-7 on the year with an ERA of 5.42 and has recorded 106 strikeouts.

George Kirby is 0-1 with two no-decisions in his last three starts this season while allowing a total of 10 runs and striking out 14 in those starts with his last start coming on the road against the New York Mets in which Kirby allowed three runs and struck out three batters in a loss.

Taj Bradley is 0-1 with two no-decisions in his last three starts this season while allowing a total of nine runs and striking out 17 batters in those matchups with his last start coming on the road against the Cleveland Guardians in which Bradley allowed one run and struck out seven in a no-decision.

Both teams are two of the best in the American League, however, Seattle has been the better team this season in the series, going 3-1 this year against Tampa Bay while winning the previous three matchups by an average margin of 2.33 runs per game which is why I am taking the money line for the Seattle Mariners at -115 for game two of the series on BookMaker.