Reds vs Rays Picks and Prediction – 7/26/2024

Tropicana Field will play host to a Friday night MLB interleague clash between the Cincinnati Reds and the Tampa Bay Rays. Be ready for the baseball season with all of our MLB predictions. The Reds (49-53) have won consecutive games and are four back in the race for the final NL Wild Card spot. On Wednesday, All-Star SS Elly De La Cruz homered as part of a three hit afternoon and scored three runs to lead Cincinnati to a 9-4 road triumph against Atlanta. 

Twenty-six year old southpaw Nick Lodolo (8-3 3.51 ERA) is quietly turning in a nice season for the Reds. Through 84 plus innings, Lodolo has struck out 89 batters and owns a solid 1.12 WHIP.

The Tampa Bay Rays have split their first 54 home games and are four games back in the race for the final AL Wild Card spot. On Thursday, DH Brandon Lowe came up a triple short of the cycle and drove in three runs to lead Tampa Bay to a 13-0 road triumph against Toronto. 1B Isaac Paredes went 2-for-5 and contributed four RBIs for the Rays (52-51), who racked up 16 hits on the afternoon. 

Twenty-five year old righty Shane Baz (0-1 3.95 ERA) will make his fourth start of the year for the Rays. Last time out, Baz walked five batters across three plus shutout frames during a 6-4 road victory against New York.