Two teams that are spitting images of each other will meet tonight in the AL Wild Card game when the Oakland Athletics host the Tampa Bay Rays. Tonight’s probables will be Charlie Morton for Tampa and Sean Manaea for Oakland. Manaea was sidelined for almost a year with a shoulder issue but since his return he has gone 4-0, with a 1.21 ERA and a WHIP of 0.78, which would explain why he gets the nod over Mike Fiers. Tampa’s ace, Morton, is having a banner year. He is 16-6, with a 3.05 ERA, a 1.08 WHIP, and is 1-0 this year against Oakland with an ERA of just 0.69. Manaea will be making his first post-season start so nerves could be an issue, and when he last faced Tampa in 2018, he did not fare well, surrendering 4 runs on 5 hits, resulting in a 6-0 Tampa rout. Morton has been in this situation before and if his nasty curve ball is working, the Rays prevail.
TONIGHT’S PICK: TAMPA BAY RAYS