The red-hot Boston Red Sox enter Saturday’s matchup against the Athletics as a heavy -257 moneyline favorite, with first pitch scheduled for 4:10 p.m. ET.
With Jake Bennett in solid form, my Athletics vs. Red Sox predictions expect Boston to roll to another convincing win against a shaky Gage Jump.
Who will win A's vs Red Sox today: Red Sox -1.5 (-131)
The Athletics send Gage Jump to the mound at Fenway Park, and he’ll face a Boston Red Sox offense carrying a 158 wRC+ over the last week.
Jump is not in ideal form, posting a 4.55 xERA over his last two starts. While he has not allowed a homer during that span, the rookie has walked 9.31 BB/9, which is dangerous against a Red Sox lineup that is rolling.
Jake Bennett counters for Boston, and he continues to deal. The left-hander owns a 3.84 FIP over his previous two appearances while holding opponents to a 33.3% hard-hit rate and 2.6% barrel rate.
Boston should capitalize against Jump, while Bennett limits the damage.
I’ll play this pick up to -150.
COVERS INTEL: The Red Sox have thrived against left-handers, posting a 113 wRC+ this season. That's compared to a 94 mark vs righties.
A's vs Red Sox Over/Under pick: Under 9.5 (-131)
The total is set high at 9.5, and I’m predicting the Under. The Athletics are doing very little offensively right now, and Boston’s bullpen has been lights out. Over its last 26.1 innings, the Red Sox relief corps owns a 1.93 xERA while surrendering just 0.34 HR/9.
I expect Boston to do most of the scoring, but Oakland’s bullpen is not in complete collapse mode, posting a 4.41 FIP across the last week. If the A’s pen can limit damage once Jump departs, this game can stay under 10 runs.
I’ll play this pick up to -140.
Quinn Allen's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 46-55, -15.38 units
Over/Under bets: 56-42, +7.55 units
A's vs Red Sox weather
Weather looks warm at Fenway Park today, with partly cloudy skies and temperatures holding in the mid-to-upper 80s through first pitch. Winds should be moderate early, then ease later, and rain chances remain relatively low. The warm air could slightly help carry, but conditions should not be a major factor.
A's vs Red Sox odds
Moneyline: A's +245 | Red Sox -237
Run line: A's +1.5 (+127) | Red Sox -1.5 (-133)
Over/Under: Over 9.5 (+122) | Under 9.5 (-127)
A's vs Red Sox trend
The Boston Red Sox have covered the Run Line in 27 of their last 40 games (+19.65 Units / 41% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for A's vs. Red Sox.
How to watch A's vs Red Sox and game info
Location
Fenway Park, Boston, MA
Date
Saturday, August 8, 2026
First pitch
4:10 p.m. ET
TV
FS1
A's starting pitcher
Gage Jump (4-7, 4.59 ERA)
Red Sox starting pitcher
Jake Bennett (7-4, 2.90 ERA)
A's vs Red Sox latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - JUNE 29: JJ Picollo General Manager of the Kansas City Royals talks with John Sherman Chairman and CEO of the Kansas City Royals prior to a game Kauffman Stadium on June 29, 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year, we ask questions of the most plugged-in Kansas City Royals fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
Earlier this week, we asked you to grade how Royals General Manager J.J. Picollo’s trade deadline went:
Honestly, I’m a bit baffled by these results. Back when we asked how many players the Royals needed to trade away by the deadline, almost everyone agreed they needed to trade at least three, with five or more coming in just behind three to four. The Royals ended up trading only one player from the 40-man roster. And yet, 22% of respondents to this poll thought they managed at least a C at this trade deadline. 4% of you gave them a B! Please, I’m begging you, if you gave a B, I’d love for you to tell me why in a comment.
I’ve already written extensively about why I think this trade deadline is an F. So even the 54% majority of you who gave them a D are significantly higher on the Royals’ performance at the deadline than I am. To summarize my thoughts, it seems to me that the Royals made a massive mistake by not trading every expiring contract they have, including John Schreiber and Starling Marte. I also don’t think Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo are going to be the difference between next year’s team being a contender and not, and whatever trade value they have now will likely be greatly diminished by this time next season.
It’s possible the Royals talked to all of those players and came away with the impression that none of them wanted to be traded and the team didn’t get offers large enough to override those preferences. And I have some sympathy for the players involved, certainly. But if I were offered a few hundred thousand to do my job somewhere else for a few months, I think I’d probably figure it out. These guys can, too.
Anyway, what’s done is done. And, frustratingly, it seems like we are going to be stuck watching these veterans play out the string on the current MLB roster before departing for other homes this offseason instead of getting a look at anyone else who might offer more now or in the future. I guess that means we have the offseason spending spree* and lockout to look forward to instead. How exciting.
*If the Royals want to even pretend like they’re going to compete next year, they’re going to have to throw a lot of cash at a lot of players just to fill out the roster.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - AUGUST 07: Ryan Waldschmidt #15 of the Arizona Diamondbacks celebrates after hitting a walk off two run home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the ninth inning at Chase Field on August 07, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. Diamondbacks won 4-3. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Diamondbacks News
Diamondbacks Win Most Playoff-like Game of Season The Diamondbacks took the series opener in tis final series against the Los Angeles Dodgers with playoff rankings for both teams still on the line.
Kelly’s Cramping Issue Resurfaces Versus Dodgers Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Merrill Kelly signaled to the dugout with two outs in the sixth inning after giving up a RBI single on Friday against the Los Angeles Dodgers, asking to be taken out of the game. The team later confirmed it was due to cramping in Kelly’s right leg, making this the fourth straight season the issues have flared up.
Waldschmidt’s Wild Walk-off Night After the Diamondbacks lost starter Merrill Kelly to yet another cramping issue, they then lost the hard-earned lead over the division rival Dodgers. That brought Ryan Waldschmidt to the plate in the ninth with a runner on and Edwin Diaz looking to close out the game and earn the save for the Dodgers. Waldschmidt had other ideas and launched his second home run of his young career.
Hunter Greene to Undergo Elbow Surgery The Reds announced that right-hander Hunter Greene will undergo elbow surgery, per Mark Sheldon of MLB.com. The extent of the procedure isn’t known just yet, but president of baseball ops Nick Krall tells the Reds beat that the surgery will pertain to Greene’s elbow ligament (via Pat Brennan of the Cincinnati Enquirer).
The Mets carry a four-game win streak headed into the second game of the team's three-game road series against the the Pittsburgh Pirates.
First pitch on Saturday night is set for 6:40 p.m. on SNY.
Mets Notes
Robert Stock will take the mound for the Mets. The 36-year-old journeyman was rock solid in his first start of the season against the Miami Marlins on Aug. 2, allowing one earned run on three hits while striking out four and walking none across five full innings.
In the series opener on Friday night, Mets rookie outfielder A.J. Ewing reached base in four of his five plate appearances, increasing his OPS on the season to .743.
Today's Lineups
METS
PIRATES
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What channel is SNY?
Check your TV or streaming provider's website or channel finder to find your local listings.
How can I stream the game?
The way to stream SNY games is via the MLB App or MLB.tv.
Open “MLB” and tap on “Subscriber Login” for Apple Devices or “Sign in with MLB.com” for Android Devices.
Type in your MLB.com credentials and tap “Log In.”
To access live or on-demand content, tap on the "Watch" tab from the bottom navigation bar. Select the "Games" sub-tab to see a listing of available games. You can scroll to previous dates using the left and right arrows. Tap on a game to select from the game feeds available.
For more information on how to stream Mets games on SNY, please click here.
NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 24: Aaron Judge #99 and Anthony Rizzo pose for a photo during the 2026 BBWAA Awards Dinner at New York Hilton Midtown on Saturday, January 24, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Since Don Mattingly’s retirement after the 1995 season, the Yankees have generally filled the first base spot by bringing in an established veteran. First it was Tino Martinez, then it was Jason Giambi, before Mark Teixeira filled that role from 2009 through 2016. For five years after him, the position became a turnstile, with Greg Bird (the only homegrown player to man the position regularly in two decades), Chris Carter, Chase Headley, Luke Voit, Edwin Encarnación, and DJ LeMahieu tagging in, to mixed success. Finally, looking to improve the offense as the 2021 squad stumbled through the first half, the Yankees swung a deal with the Chicago Cubs, bringing in one of the legends that broke the 108-year curse: Anthony Rizzo.
Anthony Rizzo Born: August 8, 1989 (Parkland, FL) Yankees Tenure: 2021-2024
Born and raised in Parkland, Florida, Rizzo was selected out of high school by the Boston Red Sox in the sixth round of the 2007 MLB Draft. He made a cup of coffee in rookie ball that season, before starting the 2008 campaign with Single-A Greenville. Baseball, however, quickly became of secondary importance, as that May, the 18-year-old Rizzo was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He did not return to the playing field until the end of the summer, when the Red Sox front office permitted Rizzo — recently declared cancer-free — to take one plate appearance; he doubled.
He spent two more years in the Boston system before being traded, along with Casey Kelly, Reymond Fuentes, and Eric Patterson, to the San Diego Padres for first baseman Adrian Gonzalez. He made his major league debut on June 9, 2011, tripling in his second time at the plate.
Two days later, he recorded his first big league home run.
Those would be his only true highlights as a member of the Padres, however. He generally struggled in his first run in the Show, slashing .141/.281/.242 in 49 games. When San Diego traded for Yonder Alonso that December, Rizzo became expendable and was traded again, this time to the Chicago Cubs for pitcher Andrew Cashner and outfielder Kyung-Min Na. Rather amusingly, both times Rizzo was traded as a youngster, Jed Hoyer was the general manager acquiring him (although in Chicago, Hoyer reported to President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein, who had final say on the deal).
Rizzo started 2012 with Triple-A Iowa, as Bryan LaHair began the year as the team’s first baseman. He quickly proved ready for the limelight, however, and made his Cubs debut on June 26th. Over the next three and a half seasons, he established himself as one of the Senior Circuit’s premier first baseman, slashing .268/.361/.480, receiving two All-Star nods, and finishing as a finalist for the Gold Glove Award at first base.
All of that would be a prelude to the highlight of his career, the 2016 season. His production was impressive in and of itself, as he slashed .292 /.385/.544, hit 32 homers and 43 doubles (the first Cubs left-handed hitter to do so!), and drove in 109 runs. And he piled on the regular season accolades, earning his first Gold Glove, his first and only Platinum Glove (to this day, the only first baseman to have won the award), his first and only Silver Slugger, and his first starting nod in the All-Star Game. More importantly, despite a slow start to the postseason, he went 17-for-50 with three homers, five doubles, and six walks between the NLCS and World Series. Thanks to Cleveland scoring once in the bottom of the tenth, his run in the top of the inning would prove to be the winning run, and rather fittingly, the player who had become the face of the Cubs would catch the final out of the 2016 World Series.
The Cubs never climbed the mountain again, but that was through no fault of Rizzo’s. From the start of the 2017 campaign until he was traded to the Yankees in July 2021, his 128 wRC+ ranked 28th in baseball among 92 qualified hitters, and his 14.0 fWAR ranked 34th; additionally, he won three Gold Gloves. Across that span, arguably only Freddie Freeman and Paul Goldschmidt were definitively better, with Joey Votto and Matt Olson also falling right around the same spot in the rankings as Rizzo.
Looking to shore up their infield defense and add another lefty bat in one swoop (remember, the 2019-2023 Yankees were notoriously heavy on right-handed bats), the Yankees spun a deal for Rizzo at the 2021 deadline, sending Kevin Alcántara and Alexander Vizcaíno to Chicago in order to steal him away from the Boston Red Sox. While Joey Gallo was the bigger name acquired at the time, Rizzo made an immediate impact, homering in his Yankee debut.
While the 2021 season ended in disappointing fashion, the Yankees saw enough in Rizzo — who slashed .249/.340/.428, provided great defense, and most importantly, slid right into a leadership role in the clubhouse — to make him a priority signing once the lockout ended that March (they did make a run on Freddie Freeman, but it was clear that Freeman preferred to either stay in Atlanta or head out to LA). Hitting behind Aaron Judge, Rizzo had his best season since 2019, with a 130 OPS+ and a career-high 32 homers in just 130 games. Unsurprisingly, he opted out of his contract, and equally unsurprisingly, he re-upped with the Yankees again, signing another two-year deal with a team option for 2025.
Rizzo’s career resurgence continued at the start of 2023, as through May 27th, he had a .303/.376/.507 slash line (149 wRC+) with 11 home runs in 52 games. Then, Fernando Tatís Jr. hip-checked Rizzo on a pickoff play, and while nobody knew until August 3rd, gave him a concussion. From that point on, the first baseman struggled, slashing just .174/.272/.227 with only one homer until he was finally shut down for the year in August.
The 2024 season wasn’t any better for Rizzo, as he struggled out of the gate, slashing .223/.289/.341 (82 wRC+) before breaking his arm in mid-June in a collision at first base. He returned to the lineup when rosters expanded on September 1st, and while he didn’t exactly light up the world, his 98 wRC+ gave the Yankees a definitive upgrade at first base over the rookie Ben Rice. Unfortunately, he was plunked on September 28th and fractured multiple fingers. After the Yankees managed to fake their way through the ALDS with Oswaldo Cabrera and Jon Berti learning first base on the fly, Rizzo returned for the ALCS and World Series, during which he went 6-for-14 in the ALCS and 2-for-16 in the World Series.
The Yankees declined Rizzo’s team option for 2025, and while he tried to latch on with a team, he ultimately decided to retire, joining the Cubs in an ambassadorial role. Rather famously, while hanging in the bleachers during his first game as a fan, a home run was hit right at him.
At the end of the day, Rizzo will always be remembered as a Cub, not as a Yankee. Even so, despite his lackluster performance towards the end of his career, he nonetheless managed to worm his way into Yankee fans’ hearts. Even so, he is only the second most popular member of his family:
HOUSTON, TEXAS - JULY 22: Houston Astros first-round draft pick Logan Hughes speaks to the media before a game between the Houston Astros and Miami Marlins at Daikin Park on July 22, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Houston Astros/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Another day of minor league baseball is in the books. See the results below. Check out the previous day’s recap here.
AAA: Sugar Land Space Cowboys (59-52) won 18-10 (BOX SCORE)
Nezuh started for Sugar Land and went 3.2 innings allowing 4 runs, 3 earned. The offense got on the board in the 4th scoring 3 runs on a Spence RBI single, Guillemette sac fly and Delgado RBI single. In the 7th the offense scored 4 runs on an Alexander 2 run single, run on a wild pitch and a run on a Brooks sac fly. Santa struggled in relief allowing 3 runs in the bottom of the inning as the Isotopes tied it up. The game went to extra innings and in the 10th the Sugar Land offense blew it open. Delgado broke the tie driving in 3 runs on a bases clearing triple. A Dezenzo 2 run single, Spence 2 run double, Guillemette RBI single, Delgado RBI single, Whitcomb walk, and an Alexander walk extended the lead. The pen allowed a few more but held on for the 18-10 win.
Roddery Munoz, RHP: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
AA: Corpus Christi Hooks (50-56) lost 3-1 (BOX SCORE)
DeVos got the start for the Hooks and pitched well allowing one run on one hit while striking out 6 over 5 innings of work. The pen allowed a couple of runs as the Hooks went down 3-0. The offense got a run back in the 9th inning on a Nunez RBI single but that was it as they fell 3-1.
Ramsey David, RHP: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
Jack Dashwood, LHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
A+: Asheville Tourists (34-69) SUSPENDED
A: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (53-51) lost 4-3 (BOX SCORE)
Ardines got the start for the Woodpeckers and went 4 innings allowing 2 runs while striking out 7 in his Single-A debut. The Woodpeckers got on the board in the 5th inning on a Hughes 2 run single. Baez pitched in relief allowing 1 run over 3 innings. The offense tied it up again in the 8th on a Luciano RBI double. The game was tied in the 9th but Salem walked it off on a bases loaded walk.
Note: Luciano is hitting .362 over his last 27 games.
WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 07: (L-R) Clayton Beeter #39 of the Washington Nationals celebrates with Harry Ford #17 after their team's 5-3 victory against the Cincinnati Reds at Nationals Park on August 07, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Last night Nats fans saw something odd and unique. We saw the back end of the Nationals bullpen come in and lock down a game. The trio of Yovanny Cruz, Orlando Ribalta and Clayton Beeter were lights out last night. They did not allow a single hit in their three innings of work.
It was only one game, but for the first time all season I felt like the Nats had a back end of the bullpen that could bring real success. Cruz, Ribalta and Beeter all have filthy stuff and have the ability to get out of tight situations. We saw Cruz bail out Cade Cavalli last night with some help from Nasim Nunez.
Cruz to Ribalta to Beeter feels like a real formula.
That trio, at least last night, is what a back end of a bullpen is supposed to look like. All three of them throw in the upper 90’s, or triple digits in Cruz’s case. However, they also have elite secondary pitches to back up those heaters. Beeter and Cruz have electric sliders that just drop off the table. Meanwhile, Ribalta also has a good slider, but throws a nasty changeup as well.
Of the three, Yovanny Cruz has the best stuff in my opinion. The slider he throws is legitimately one of the nastiest I have ever seen. It is 90-93 but gets real slider movement instead of being a glorified cutter. The pitch he struck out Matt McLain with was just unfair.
This Yovanny Cruz slider is the kind of weapon banned in the Geneva Convention pic.twitter.com/I1LwjYkQ0g
For Cruz to reach his closer ceiling, his fastball needs to make some improvements. That is a weird thing to say about a guy who averages over 100, but it is true. Cruz’s fastball command has been less than impressive in his two outings. Even when he is in the zone with it though, it has not really been fooling anyone.
The pitch is 100, which helps him out. However, it is straight as an arrow and is not deceptive. In 2026, big league hitters can handle a straight 100 MPH pitch. Cruz has thrown 37 heaters at the big league level this season, and has not gotten a single whiff. If I were the Nats, I would heavily consider replacing his 4-seamer with a power sinker.
For now, Cruz is a good 7th inning guy with big stuff, but he still has room to grow. He can devastate right handed hitters with the slider, but lefties have given him more issues. I wonder if he should mix in that splitter a bit more often against them. However, to reach his ceiling, Cruz needs to refine that heater.
One pitcher who does not have any fastball issues is Orlando Ribalta. Despite averaging “only” 96.8 instead of 100, his heater is much more effective. Ribata gets a 28.7% whiff rate on his riding 4-seam fastball. A lot of times he uses his slider to get ahead of hitters before putting them away with the heater or changeup.
The other day I wrote about how Ribalta has quietly been a highly effective reliever for the Nats. He has not been perfect this season, but he has come through more often than not. Ribalta avoids hard contact, gets a decent amount of strikeouts and throws strikes. That is a good combination.
The Nats have cycled through a lot of relievers they won’t be bringing back but Orlando Ribalta is one guy who is a keeper https://t.co/oh5z7UXPRa
Lastly, let’s get to the closer Clayton Beeter. Honestly, Beeter is not a guy who fills me with a ton of confidence due to his erratic nature. However, when he is hitting his spots, he is a real weapon. That is what he did last night to close the show in routine fashion.
Beeter basically throws his fastball and slider the same amount. It is a very simple package with just two pitches. However, the offerings tunnel very well off each other and the slider works well against lefties and righties.
This season, batters are just hitting .108 off the slider. It is a pitch he can manipulate and use in all situations. Beeter’s slider is at least a 70 grade pitch and devastates hitters. When hitters get the heater, it can be an issue. However, he is throwing more sliders lately and hitters just are not picking it up.
The Nats do not exactly have the 2015 Royals bullpen now, but these three are a solid way to close out games. They will not get it done every time, but I think we will see more games like last night down the stretch. If you give these guys a couple runs to work with, we will not see games be blown like they were earlier in the season.
Games like last night are why Paul Toboni brought in the likes of Cruz. He can be a real fireman and clean up those first and third with nobody out jams. With the likes of Ben Grable also coming next year, this bullpen can go from a disaster to a solid unit without a ton of spending. That is how you build a sustainable bullpen, which the Nats have not had for a long time.
Baltimore Orioles general manager Mike Elias, middle, speaks to the media on Friday, May 2, 2025, in the home dugout at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore. (Taylor Lyons/Baltimore Sun/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Orioles fans and fans across the country.
The Orioles entered trade deadline day earlier this week with a 2.5 game deficit to the third wild card spot in the American League. We have seen the myriad flaws of the team through the year and on a rational level understand the case not to push aggressively to make something happen this season.
I don’t think I was the only one hoping the Orioles would decide to just let it ride with the roster, maybe add a piece or two who will be able to help next year too while thinning out the mid-range prospect depth that has to be added to the 40-man roster so it’s not lost in the Rule 5 draft. Mike Elias had other ideas, trading away three players who figured to be a part of next year’s team, headlined by Adley Rutschman. This is still a tough one to stomach.
In our poll this week, I asked Orioles fans, clearly feeling raw in the aftermath of the Rutschman trade, when they think that our favorite baseball team will make it back into the postseason. These were the results:
Optimism often reigns in these polls, but it seems the post-Rutschman trade was not inspiring a lot of optimism for the near future. The 34% plurality for 2029 or later isn’t too strong, but we’re talking 59% who think the Orioles won’t make the postseason this year or next year either.
Three years out of the postseason in a row would be pretty bad! I think that Elias should be fired after this season if it gets to two years. It is not clear that the owner agrees.
While this poll was open, the Orioles made it as close as within half a game of the wild card spot. They’ve since lost their series finale to the Angels and their series opener against the Rangers, the team they’re now chasing for that third wild card. They can pull back ground if they can win the other two games this weekend. That’ll take them scoring some more runs, which they kind of… aren’t doing. The team has scored ten runs in six August games. Yikes.
Baseball Reference gives them a 10.4% chance of making the postseason. FanGraphs has them at 10.8%. They probably need to go 28-16 from here.
To keep this feature going, I’m going to post simply the WPA numbers and plays of the game, and a poll so you can vote on your choice for Player of the Game. Thomas will update the Rizzo Award standings when he returns.
Game 117, Aug. 7: Cubs 6, Royals 4
Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.
THREE HEROES:
Superhero: Pete Crow-Armstrong (.215). 1-3, 2 BB, SB, 2 R
Hero: Kevin Gausman (.174). 7 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 4 K
Sidekick: Seiya Suzuki (.116). 2-5, 2 RBI
PCA just keeps making his MVP case, in so many different ways.
THREE GOATS:
Billy Goat: Caleb Thielbar (-.144). 0.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R
Goat: Nico Hoerner (-.078). 0-5
Kid: Ian Happ (-.064). 0-4, 4 K
Happ is in a serious slump, one of the worst of his career.
WPA Play of the Game: PCA’s single in the second that scored two runs, the second coming in on an error. (.176)
Royals Play of the Game: Isaac Collins’ RBI double in the first (.104).
Up next: Clay Holmes makes his Cubs debut, with Seth Lugo his Royals opponent.
The Cubs have won five straight and this trip would be a great time to keep stacking wins.
The first-place Tampa Bay Rays are short road underdogs for the middle game of a weekend series against the sub-.500 Seattle Mariners.
Tampa Bay is on a four-game winning streak, all on the road, while Seattle has dropped three of the last four, all at home.
My Rays at Mariners predictions and MLB picks have Tampa winning as +101 road underdogs.
Who will win Rays vs Mariners today: Rays moneyline (+101)
The Tampa Bay Rays are 14 games better than the Seattle Mariners on the season. Tampa has gone 45-24 (.652) against losing teams and is .500 on the road.
Seattle is 8-12, .400, since the All-Star Break, and this is just their fifth game since then against a winning team—they've won once.
So why are the M's favored? Not because of the pitching matchup. Tampa's Griffin Jax has a slightly better ERA (3.63) and WHIP (1.21) than Seattle's George Kirby and better metrics (strikeout rate, chase rate, whiff rate and run value).
The Rays as a dog is a no-brainer. I'd keep Tampa until -110.
COVERS INTEL: After throwing two curveballs all last year out of the bullpen, Jax has been throwing it more than 9% of the time as a starter. Opponents are hitting .154 against it, and the threat of it has also lowered the average against for his fastball and sinker by more than 40 points each. Cal Raleigh, Julio Rodriguez, Josh Naylor, Colt Emerson and Cole Young all have negative run value against the curve this year, so it's a bad matchup for Seattle.
Rays vs Mariners Over/Under pick: Under 6.5 (+119)
The Under isn't the obvious bet it should be, because they've lowered the cutoff to 6.5 runs. Seattle hasn't seen a totals cutoff of 8.5 or higher in seven games.
This is its sixth game with a total of 6.5 or lower. Only Cleveland (7 games) has more. It's their 87th below 8.5, most in MLB.
Tampa has been Under two straight and seven of 10. The Rays have the sixth-worst Over record in MLB while the Mariners have scored 0 or 1 in three of the last four games.
Getting plus odds for Under, even at such a low cutoff, is automatic.
Shawn Krest's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 28-37, -5.68 units
Over/Under bets: 39-21, +5.64 units
Rays vs Mariners weather
Winds blowing in from centerfield will make it difficult to score runs tonight.
Rays vs Mariners odds
Moneyline: Rays +104 | Mariners -108
Run line: Rays -1.5 (+186) | Mariners +1.5 (-194)
Over/Under: Over 6.5 (-127) | Under 6.5 (+122)
Rays vs Mariners trend
The Seattle Mariners have hit the Team Total Under in 29 of their last 45 games. The Tampa Bay Rays have hit the Team Total Under in 30 of 50. Find more MLB betting trends for Rays vs. Mariners.
How to watch Rays vs Mariners and game info
Location
T-Mobile Park, Seattle, WA
Date
Saturday, August 8, 2026
First pitch
9:50 p.m. ET
TV
Rays.TV, Mariners.TV
Rays starting pitcher
Griffin Jax (6-9, 3.63 ERA)
Mariners starting pitcher
George Kirby (8-9, 3.76 ERA)
Rays vs Mariners latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
BALTIMORE, MD - SEPTEMBER 23: Chandler Simpson #14 of the Tampa Bay Rays takes a swing during a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles at the Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 23, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Chandler Simpson is really good at baseball and is doing things only a handful of players have accomplished in the game’s long history.
Entering play on Saturday night, 25-year old Simpson is hitting .296/.325/.353 over his brief two year career at the big league level. He hardly ever strikes out with a 9.4% career strikeout rate and barely whiffs, with a 90.5% contact rate. Since the start of the 2025 season, among hitters with at least 800 PA, Simpson ranks 7th in AVG, 5th in K%, and 3rd in contact%. Simpson is really good at making contact and hitting for average.
Simpson’s elite speed of course also makes him an asset on the bases as he has already notched 74 stolen bases since making his big league debut, 2 shy of the MLB lead over that time (behind former Rays SS Jose Caballero). According to Baseball Savant, Simpson provides the most baserunning value of any player in the game.
Simpson recently collected his 100th hit of the season as well as his 30th stolen base, this achievement put Simpson in some rare company, as only 13 players have reached those milestones over the course of their first two seasons, including 3x All-Star Bobby Witt Jr. as well Hall of Famers Ichiro Suzuki and Paul Molitor
Meanwhile, Simpson has been refining his play in the outfield. Yes, he had an adventurous time learning how to best utilize his elite speed during his time with the Rays last season, which led to occasional disastrous results and admittedly abysmal advanced defensive metrics in 2025; however, Simpson has worked incredibly hard to improve upon this skillset and now has developed into a plus defender, with a 93rd percentile OAA and is among the top half of outfielders with 5 defensive runs saved this season.
So when did Simpson quietly shatter a franchise record that has been in place for over twenty years? Well, this is a bit of a funny one.
On July 17th when the Rays returned from the All-Star break. Simpson made his first plate appearance in the second inning and grounded out harmlessly. That was his 797th plate appearance with the Rays. With that trip to the plate, Simpson surpassed Jason Tyner for the longest stretch in franchise history to have not hit a homerun.
Tyner was acquired by the Rays in 2000 and would spend the entirety of his Tampa Bay tenure homerless, batting .261/.298/.303 over parts of four seasons. He would become a crowd favorite for his tenacious play and the front office even decided to plan a bobblehead day to be given out to fans on June 2nd. In early April 2002, Tyner got to check out the bobblehead:
“It looked all right. I’m sure I’ll get ragged about it. Oh well.”
However, over the first two months of the season, Tyner was among the worst players in baseball, hitting .214/.249/.238 over 180 PA. On May 28th, just a few days before the scheduled promotion, the Devil Rays optioned Tyner to Triple-A where he would remain for the rest of the season. Coincidentally, the team also had to cancel a Toby Hall bobblehead day that was planned when the backstop was optioned on the same day as Tyner; those dolls had yet to be manufactured though. Unfortunately, all 10,000 Jason Tyner bobbleheads had already been delivered to Tropicana Field. During the offseason, the team donated the bobbleheads to the Pinellas Education Foundation.
Tyner would be up and down in 2003 and performed better but only received 102 plate appearances over the course of the year. He would be claimed off of waivers by Texas in December but the scrappy outfielder wouldn’t make his return to the big leagues until 2005 when he caught on with the Minnesota Twins and had a career year in 2006, accruing 1.5 fWAR, but was still homerless. But then, on July 28th, 2007, Tyner laced a ball down the right field line that was the definition of a wall scraper as it barely cleared the fence. But, the ball left the yard which gave Jason Tyner his first and only career home run in the big leagues after 1318 plate appearances.
Tyner finished out the season with the Twins and joined up with Cleveland the following season but would only receive three plate appearances, the final trips to the plate of his career. Tyner would retire shortly thereafter and since moved onto coaching. Over the past several years, Tyner has been the head baseball coach at Monsignor Kelly Catholic High School.
Jason Tyner’s career ended with just the one HR and him hitting .275/.314/.323 and accruing 1.9 fWAR over 1467 plate appearances.
Back to the 2026 Rays, fear not. Simpson has already proven to be more valuable than Tyner was in his career, having already eclipsed Tyner’s career fWAR with 2.4, and even stuck around long enough to see his bobble head distributed at Tropicana Field:
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - AUGUST 7: Joc Pederson #3 of the Texas Rangers reacts after hitting a two-run home run against the Baltimore Orioles during the sixth inning at Globe Life Field on August 7, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning, LSB.
The Rangers won a thriller last night over the Orioles.
Left-hander Jake Bennett takes the mound tonight for the Boston Red Sox. He's struck out six hitters per nine innings across his last two outings, and this matchup is a clear opportunity to rack up Ks.
The Athletics are in horrible offensive form, posting a 61 wRC+ in the last week and carrying a 25.2% strikeout rate. They're also 24th in the Majors in team punchouts, and have struck out 9.67 times per contest across their previous three contests.
Bennett should miss his fair share of bats here.
I'll play this pick up to -150.
Time: 4:10 p.m. ET
Where to watch: NBC Bay Area, NESN
Chase Burns Under 2.5 earned runs (-160)
Chase Burns has been lights out lately for the Cincinnati Reds. The right-hander owns a 1.13 ERA and 2.84 FIP over his last three starts, allowing just 0.56 HR/9. Burns has also cashed the Under in earned runs allowed in three consecutive outings.
The Washington Nationals are a solid offensive team, but Burns is facing them at a great time. The Nats have a 72 wRC+ over their previous seven games.
For what it's worth, Burns already carved up Washington this season, tossing six scoreless frames in May.
I know the price isn't great, but it's a great bet. I'll play this pick up to -170.
Time: 6:45 p.m. ET
Where to watch: NATS.TV, Reds.TV
Pete Crow-Armstrong Over 1.5 total bases (-139)
Pete Crow-Armstrong is arguably the hottest hitter in baseball right now. The Chicago Cubs star has a .400 average and .360 ISO over his last seven games while also slugging .760.
PCA has easily cashed the Over in total bases in three of his previous four appearances, and he'll face the vulnerable Seth Lugo tonight. The veteran righty has a 4.96 xERA over his last five outings while surrendering a 45.7% hard-hit rate.
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PORT CHARLOTTE, FLORIDA - MARCH 13, 2025: Kleyver Salazar #13 and Miguel Bleis #44 of the Boston Red Sox celebrates Bleis scoring on a single hit by Brooks Brannon during the seventh inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Charlotte Sports Complex on March 13, 2025 in Port Charlotte, Florida. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
With Raymond Burgos making his Red Sox debut Friday night in a rout and subsequently achieving his first MLB save by getting the final nine outs against the Athletics, the quick roster change led the WooSox to turn to some unlikely faces to take the brunt of the outs. Enter an Alec Gamboa start against Lehigh Valley (Phillies AAA) and ten scoreless outs by Noah Song. This was his longest outing for the 29-year-old since he returned from military service in 2023. It would be a cool story if Song makes his Major League debut at the end of the season, but the stats aren’t there for anything more than a feel-good appearance. Offensively, the WooSox were consistently getting in scoring position, and while they were just 2-11 under those circumstances, Mikey Romero had his tenth home run of the season and Franklin Arias, Tsung-Tse Cheng and Mickey Gasper each had extra base hits. It was enough to carry a lead, extend that lead in the eighth, and hold the game in the ninth.
With Franklin Arias squarely in Triple-A, the Sea Dogs turned to some reputable bats in New Hampshire (Blue Jays AA) to survive Devin Futrell’s first start in Portland. Futrell certainly didn’t look unhittable, giving up eight knocks on four runs while striking out five, but it could have been a lot worse as he made it out of five innings in 78 pitches, 57 of those for strikes. By his exit, Brooks Brannon had knocked his 18th of the season over the fence, and Miguel Bleis called game in the seventh with a shot of his own admist some shoving out of the pen by Patrick Halligan and Jesse Wu-Yelland.
This game was manageable through Jason Gilman’s five innings but the Renegades (Yankees High-A) really took care of matters for themselves in the eighth inning. The game was always just out of reach because Greenville couldn’t stop stranding runners, leaving seventeen on the basepaths and failing to hit a home run. Their infielders were mashing at the plate. Antonio Anderson had four hits, and Jake Schaffner might not be long for the lower minor leagues following his introduction to pro baseball; the latter went 3-for-5 with a double. Still, despite the Drive outhitting Hudson Valley 13-9, the score told a very different story.
A walkoff walk propelled the RidgeYaks to a Friday night W in Fayetteville (Astros A) as Sadbiel Delzine went 3 2/3 and eventually ran into a jam that ended his night, but Jose Bello took the reins for the following 5 1/3 innings and the team also overcame also stranding fifteen runners. The team just kept finding itself in bases loaded situations, and they overcame an ongoing problem at exactly the right time, in the ninth inning.
COVERS INTEL: The Red Sox have thrived against left-handers, posting a 113 wRC+ this season. That's compared to a 94 mark vs righties. 
Jake Bennett
Chase Burns
Pete Crow-Armstrong
