- Matchup: Tampa Bay Rays vs Pittsburgh Pirates
- Date: Saturday, April 18, 2026
- Venue: PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA
- Broadcast: SportsNet Pittsburgh
- Betting Odds: Tampa Bay (-152) Pittsburgh (+126)
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The Tampa Bay Rays (11-7) visit the Pittsburgh Pirates (11-8) for a competitive matchup at PNC Park on Saturday. Currently, odds favor Tampa Bay at -152 compared to Pittsburgh’s +126, with the total set at 8. The starting pitchers are Drew Rasmussen and Paul Skenes.
This season, Tampa Bay records a slugging percentage of .394, with 130 strikeouts and 64 walks. They’ve driven in 86 runs and racked up 165 hits, boasting a batting average of .264. As a unit, the Rays have 25 doubles and 16 home runs, averaging 5.1 runs per game, which ranks them 9th in the league.
Tampa Bay’s pitching staff has an earned run average (ERA) of 4.38, placing them 22nd in the league. They’ve struck out 139 batters and allowed 22 home runs, giving up 91 runs in total, which ranks 23rd in the MLB. The pitching unit has issued 65 walks and has a FIP of 4.51. They’ve allowed 134 hits so far, averaging 7.5 hits per nine innings, resulting in 78 earned runs. Their strikeout-to-walk ratio stands at 2.14, with a WHIP of 1.24.
This season, the Rays’ relief pitchers have entered games with baserunners 16 times in high-leverage situations, achieving 13 holds (12th in the league). The bullpen maintains a 70.0% save rate, having successfully saved 7 out of 10 opportunities this season. They’ve inherited 23 runners with a 47.8% scoring percentage. So far, 58 relief pitchers have been utilized in 2026.
Fielding-wise, the Rays have converted 72.3% of balls in play into outs, ranking 5th in the MLB. They have accumulated 481 putouts, 134 assists, and 19 errors with a fielding percentage of .970, placing them 30th in the league, and have executed 9 double plays.
Starting pitcher Drew Rasmussen has logged 476 innings, achieving 445 strikeouts throughout his career with an impressive ERA of 2.83 (allowing 150 earned runs). He has a WHIP of 1.050, yielding 380 hits (averaging 7.2 per nine innings) and 120 walks, boasting a career record of 31-17 and a FIP of 2.79 across 1,899 batters faced.
The Pirates have hit 21 home runs, driving in 92 runs, and made 25 doubles while drawing 80 walks. They’ve scored a total of 95 runs, maintaining an on-base percentage of .342 and a team batting average of .252 this season. Pittsburgh’s slugging percentage stands at .393, averaging 5.00 runs per game (10th in MLB). They have been struck out 173 times (9th in the league) with a total of 164 hits.
Pittsburgh’s pitching unit has a team WHIP of 1.317 and a FIP of 3.78, ranking 9th in total hits allowed (143). The Pirates’ pitching staff has given up 76 runs this season, owning a team ERA of 3.28 (63 earned runs). Their strikeout-to-walk ratio is at 9.50 (182 strikeouts against 85 walks), allowing 14 home runs while permitting 3.95 runs per 9 innings (7th in MLB).
With 25 save opportunities, the Pirates have garnered 17 holds but have also suffered 4 blown saves. Their relievers have entered 8 save situations, achieving 4 saves overall. Pittsburgh’s bullpen pitchers have an inherited scoring rate of 20.0% from 20 inherited runners and have entered high-pressure situations 30 times, ranking 24th with a save rate of 50.0%. This year, 69 relief pitchers have taken the mound.
The Pirates have executed 14 double plays and hold a fielding percentage of .982 (21st in MLB). They have tallied 150 assists, recorded 12 errors, and secured 520 putouts throughout the season. In their 1,560 innings played, Pittsburgh exhibits a defensive efficiency of 69.9% (16th in the majors).
In his professional career, Paul Skenes has allowed 240 hits and recorded 404 strikeouts over 338 innings. Holding a career record of 24-14, Skenes boasts a 2.08 ERA while allowing just 6.4 hits per nine innings. With a total of 78 earned runs permitted, he holds a WHIP of 0.949 and a FIP of 2.0, with an impressive strikeout-to-walk ratio of 4.99 against 1,319 opposing hitters.
Which team will come out on top in this exciting MLB matchup?
Prediction: We’ll take Tampa Bay (-152)
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