Wednesday’s game between this division rivals comes on the heels of the Blue Jays beating Tampa 20-1 on Tuesday. However, that game is clearly an anomaly. With the Rays being 22-5 at home this season, they are poised to bounce back in a big way. Look for Tampa to give the Blue Jays a taste of their own medicine and win by a comfortable margin on Wednesday.

It will surely help the Rays that Shane McClanahan will take the mound following such an embarrassing loss. 

The lefty is 7-0 with a 2.05 ERA this season with the Rays going 9-1 in games that he starts. He allowed one run on four hits over six innings in his first start against Toronto this season. 

Plus, McClanahan has allowed more than two runs just once in his 10 starts. Finally, keep in mind that the Blue Jays had lost eight straight games, averaging 3.3 runs per game during that stretch, prior to Tuesday’s blowout win. Toronto’s lineup was struggling previously, so a pitcher like McClanahan may be able to quiet them after Tuesday’s outburst.

At the same time, the Blue Jays have to hope for the best from Yusei Kikuchi. While the lefty is 5-1 this year, he has a modest 4.08 ERA and a 5.59 ERA in May with Toronto losing two of his last four starts. 

Kikuchi has failed to get out of the fifth inning in three of his four starts in May, which is a concern against one of the top lineups in baseball. 

The Rays have scored at least seven runs in six of their last 12 games and at least five runs in eight of those 12 games. Yandy Diaz, Randy Arozarena, and Wander Franco all look like potential all-stars this year, so Tampa’s lineup is capable of doing some damage, especially if they get Kikuchi out of the game early. That should lead to a lopsided win in a bounce-back game.

Oakland Athletics vs Seattle Mariners

Odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook

My Pick: Mariners -1.5