NEWSLETTER
Ryan Pepiot will take the mound for the Tampa Bay Rays (36-39) when they visit starting pitcher Carmen Mlodzinski and the Pittsburgh Pirates (36-38) in a series opener on Friday, with first pitch at 6:40 PM ET.
Keep reading to find out how to watch the Tampa Bay-Pittsburgh matchup in the article below.
When is Rays vs. Pirates and when does it start?
Where to watch Rays vs. Pirates
The Rays and Pirates will take to the diamond at PNC Park for this matchup on June 21, and if you’d like to catch the event live, get your tickets now from Vivid Seats!
What channel is the game on?
You can catch this game live on SportsNet PT.
Watch the Rays vs. Pirates live stream on Fubo
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Rays vs. Pirates Game Preview
Rays Stats, Odds & Insights
The Rays are 21-20 in games they were listed as the moneyline favorite (winning 51.2% of those games).
Tampa Bay is fourth-worst in MLB action with 63 home runs.
The Rays are slugging .360, the fourth-lowest average in MLB.
Tampa Bay has a 4.44 team ERA that ranks 24th across all MLB pitching staffs.
The Rays average MLB’s 20th-ranked WHIP (1.288).
Pirates Stats, Odds & Insights
The Pirates have entered the game as underdogs 43 times this season and won 22, or 51.2%, of those games.
Pittsburgh’s 68 home runs rank 23rd in Major League Baseball.
The Pirates are 26th in MLB with a slugging percentage of only .361 this season.
Pittsburgh pitchers have a combined ERA of 3.91 ERA this year, which ranks 15th in MLB.
Pirates pitchers have a 1.273 WHIP this season, 15th in the majors.
Rays Starter Recent Performance: Ryan Pepiot
| Opponent | Date | IP | H | R | ER | K | BB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| at Braves | June 15 | 4.2 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
| vs. Orioles | June 10 | 6.0 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 0 |
| at Marlins | June 4 | 6.0 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 0 |
| vs. Athletics | May 29 | 5.2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 1 |
| vs. Red Sox | May 22 | 4.0 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
Pirates Starter Recent Performance: Carmen Mlodzinski
| Opponent | Date | IP | H | R | ER | K | BB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| vs. Reds | June 18 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| at Rockies | June 16 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| at Rockies | June 14 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| at Cardinals | June 12 | 2.0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| vs. Twins | June 8 | 1.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Rays Key Players to Watch
Pepiot makes the start for the Rays, his 13th of the season. He is 4-4 with a 4.57 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 63 2/3 innings pitched.
The righty’s most recent time out was on Saturday against the Atlanta Braves, when he went 4 2/3 innings, surrendering five earned runs while allowing six hits.
In 12 games this season, the 26-year-old has amassed an ERA of 4.57, with 10.3 strikeouts per nine innings. Opponents are hitting .214 against him.
Isaac Paredes leads Tampa Bay in home runs with 11, runs batted in with 39 and his batting average of .287 is also best on his team.
Yandy Diaz has collected 78 hits this season and has an OBP of .327. He’s slugging .368 on the year.
Randy Arozarena has collected 47 base hits, an OBP of .301 and a slugging percentage of .348 this season.
Pirates Key Players to Watch
Mlodzinski will take to the mound for the Pirates, his third start of the season.
The right-hander last pitched out of the bullpen on Tuesday, when he threw one scoreless inning while allowing one hit to the Cincinnati Reds.
He has pitched to a 4.42 ERA this season with 8.3 strikeouts per nine innings compared to 4.4 walks per nine across 13 games.
Bryan Reynolds has accumulated a team-best batting average of .271, while pacing the Pirates in home runs (10) and runs batted in (40).
Connor Joe is hitting .246 with 14 doubles, a triple, seven home runs and 22 walks.
Andrew McCutchen has launched a team-best 10 home runs.
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