On Thursday, in a series opener at Progressive Field, Gavin Williams takes the mound for the Cleveland Guardians (84-62) against Ryan Pepiot and the Tampa Bay Rays (71-75), with first pitch scheduled for 7:15 p.m. ET.
Find out how to watch the Cleveland-Tampa Bay matchup below.
When is Guardians vs. Rays and when does it start?
Where to watch Guardians vs. Rays
The Guardians and Rays will take to the diamond at Progressive Field for this matchup on Sept. 12, and if you want to see the action live, get your tickets now from Vivid Seats!
What channel is the game on?
You can catch this game live on FOX.
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Guardians vs. Rays Game Preview
Guardians Stats, Odds & Insights
The Guardians have a 59-30 record in games they were favored on the moneyline (winning 66.3% of those games).
Cleveland is 13th in MLB action with 168 home runs. They average 1.2 per game.
The Guardians’ .396 slugging percentage ranks 17th in baseball.
Cleveland has a 3.77 team ERA that ranks seventh across all MLB pitching staffs.
The Guardians have the fourth-lowest WHIP in the majors (1.209).
Rays Stats, Odds & Insights
This season, the Rays have won 35 out of the 78 games, or 44.9%, in which they’ve been the underdog.
Tampa Bay ranks 27th in Major League Baseball with just 133 home runs as a team.
The Rays rank 29th in the majors with a .368 team slugging percentage.
Tampa Bay has the 12th-ranked ERA (3.91) in the majors this season.
Rays pitchers have a 1.229 WHIP this season, eighth-best in the majors.
Guardians Starter Recent Performance: Gavin Williams
Opponent | Date | IP | H | R | ER | K | BB |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
at Dodgers | Sept. 7 | 0.2 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 3 |
at Royals | Sept. 2 | 7.0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 2 |
vs. Royals | Aug. 27 | 5.0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 2 |
at Yankees | Aug. 22 | 4.1 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 4 |
at Brewers | Aug. 16 | 4.0 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 2 |
Rays Starter Recent Performance: Ryan Pepiot
Opponent | Date | IP | H | R | ER | K | BB |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
at Orioles | Sept. 7 | 5.1 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 |
vs. Padres | Sept. 1 | 3.0 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
at Mariners | Aug. 26 | 6.0 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 1 |
at Athletics | Aug. 21 | 6.0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 1 |
vs. Diamondbacks | Aug. 16 | 5.1 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
Guardians Key Players to Watch
Williams makes the start for the Guardians, his 14th of the season. He is 3-8 with a 5.25 ERA and 64 strikeouts in 60 2/3 innings pitched.
In his most recent outing on Sunday against the Los Angeles Dodgers, the righty tossed two-thirds of an inning, giving up five earned runs while surrendering two hits.
The 25-year-old has put up an ERA of 5.25, with 9.6 strikeouts per nine innings, in 13 games this season. Opponents are hitting .241 against him.
Jose Ramirez leads Cleveland in home runs with 34 and runs batted in with 106.
Josh Naylor is batting .244 with an OBP of .322 and a slugging percentage of .464 this season.
Steven Kwan’s batting average of .290 leads all Cleveland hitters this season.
Rays Key Players to Watch
The Rays will send Pepiot (8-6) to the mound for his 23rd start this season.
The right-hander’s last appearance was on Saturday, when he threw 5 1/3 innings against the Baltimore Orioles, giving up one earned run while allowing six hits.
The 27-year-old has an ERA of 3.66, a 2.95 strikeout-to-walk ratio and a WHIP of 1.142 in 22 games this season.
Yandy Diaz paces the Rays with 65 runs batted in while racking up a team-best batting average of .281.
Christopher Morel’s 21 home runs lead his team.
Brandon Lowe is hitting .245 with 19 doubles, three triples, 17 home runs and 33 walks.
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