Baltimore Orioles vs Tampa Bay Rays Picks and Prediction for Friday, August 14, 2026
The Baltimore Orioles visit the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, on Friday, August 14, 2026. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET, with coverage on MLB.TV. Baltimore enters the matchup at 58-63 overall and 26-33 on the road, while Tampa Bay is 74-46 overall and an excellent 41-18 at home. At the time of this writing the odds were not released. Before placing your wagers, check out our free MLB picks for more baseball predictions and analysis.
Starting Pitchers
Baltimore will start Kyle Bradish, who enters at 7-11 with a 3.69 ERA and 1.34 WHIP across 127 innings. Bradish has allowed 116 hits and 54 walks while recording 121 strikeouts and surrendering 13 home runs. Tampa Bay has not announced its starting pitcher for Friday's matchup. That uncertainty makes the starting pitching comparison incomplete, but Baltimore at least enters with a known starter carrying a respectable ERA and solid strikeout production.
Orioles Searching for More Consistency
Baltimore enters Friday having lost three of its last five games. The Orioles dropped their most recent game 7-5 at Minnesota after winning 5-2 the previous day. Baltimore also lost 9-5 earlier in that series and split its final two games at Texas, winning 10-5 after a 5-1 defeat. The Orioles remain below .500 overall and have struggled away from home with a 26-33 road record.
The Orioles are batting .235 with a .320 on-base percentage and .395 slugging percentage. Baltimore has scored 543 runs on 944 hits while producing 143 home runs. The pitching staff owns a 4.24 ERA and 1.35 WHIP while allowing opponents to hit .253.
Baltimore's power production gives it a chance to stay competitive, as the Orioles have hit 15 more home runs than Tampa Bay. The problem is that nearly every other major team statistic favors the Rays. Baltimore owns the lower batting average and slugging percentage while also carrying considerably weaker pitching numbers.
Rays Enter Friday Riding a Nine-Game Winning Streak
Tampa Bay is one of the hottest teams in baseball entering this matchup. The Rays have won nine consecutive games and all five of their most recent contests. They swept through their last five road games with victories of 8-4, 12-4, 10-6, 4-1 and 3-2. Tampa Bay now returns home, where it has been dominant with a 41-18 record.
The Rays are batting .261 with a .331 on-base percentage and .408 slugging percentage. Tampa Bay has scored 549 runs on 1,049 hits while hitting 128 home runs. The pitching staff has posted a 3.70 ERA and outstanding 1.14 WHIP while holding opposing hitters to a .229 batting average.
Tampa Bay owns the stronger overall profile in this matchup. The Rays have the better batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, team ERA, WHIP and opponent batting average. Baltimore has produced slightly more power, but Tampa Bay has been the more complete team and has combined that statistical edge with a nine-game winning streak.
Baltimore Orioles vs Tampa Bay Rays Picks and Prediction
Pick: Tampa Bay Rays Moneyline
Tampa Bay is the clear side to back in Friday's AL East matchup. The Rays have won nine straight, own a 41-18 home record and enter with substantial advantages in both hitting efficiency and pitching. Baltimore is just 26-33 on the road and has lost three of its last five. Tampa Bay's starting pitcher remains undecided, but the overall team profile is strong enough to support the Rays at home.
Pick: Over 8.0
With no confirmed total available, take the Over if the total is set at 8.0 or lower. Tampa Bay has scored 37 runs over its last five games, including double-digit totals twice during that stretch. Baltimore has also shown enough power to contribute, with 143 home runs and 543 runs this season. The Orioles' 4.24 team ERA and 1.35 WHIP create additional opportunities for Tampa Bay's hot offense, while the uncertainty surrounding the Rays' starting pitcher adds another reason to lean toward scoring at a reasonable number.