Tampa Bay rolled to an 8-2 win over Oakland as Drew Rasmussen delivered six solid innings, ending a rough patch with six scoreless frames to start. The offense broke through early, plating four in the first and adding two in the second behind a 458-foot Brandon Lowe blast and a multi-RBI night from Junior Caminero — his 34th homer of the season. Caminero later doubled, driving in more runs to push the lead to 6-0 before the night ended. The Rays bullpen closed it out as they push to salvage a series on this 14-game, 12-game road swing, now 59-63 and within striking distance of the AL wild-card chase at 5½ games back.

The Rays seized control with an aggressive two-out rally in the first, highlighted by Lowe’s RBI double and Caminero’s run-scoring hits, then doubled the lead in the second with Lowe’s homer and timely two-out singles. Rasmussen faced little resistance until a third-inning homer by Lawrence Butler and a fifth-inning run-scoring single by Gio Urshela kept Oakland within reach for a moment, but the Rays answered by tightening the defense and letting their bullpen finish the job. Chandler Simpson and Jake Mangum set the tone with speed on the bases, and the Rays tacked on late to secure the series victory and maintain momentum heading into the weekend against the Giants.

Five targetable home run props headline Thunder Dan’s MLB picks for 8/13/2025. Colson Montgomery opens at +420 for over 0.5 HR as he faces the Detroit rookie Troy Melton; Matt Wallner tabs +290 for over 0.5 HR with a power-friendly matchup against the Yankees’ Cam Schlittler; Juan Soto sits at +260 in Citi Field versus Carlos Carrasco as he works to sustain recent mammoth form; Max Muncy checks in at +330 against Kyle Hendricks with a sinker-heavy plan; Brandon Lowe at +330 in his lefty-friendly Sacramento park edge against J.T. Ginn caps the slate.

Strategy factors include batted-ball metrics, lefty-righty splits, weather and park factors, and favorable pricing. The picks avoid the obvious slam-dunks and target longer odds to maximize upside in a round-robin format. Each prop leans on recent hot streaks, advantageous matchups, and specific pitcher tendencies to carve out value rather than chase contrarian bets.

Rays snap a skid with a 7-4 win over Oakland at Sutter Health Park, fueled by 15 hits and a multihit showing from top to bottom. Ryan Pepiot delivered six solid frames, two hits and one run allowed before the seventh inning hiccup, and the offense busted the game open with back-to-back homers from Brandon Lowe and Junior Caminero. Pete Fairbanks closed out the win for his 20th save as Tampa Bay moved within 5½ games of the AL wild-card. The Rays also benefited from a big day at the plate from newcomers Everson Pereira and Nick Fortes, who provided a spark in Pereira’s big-league debut and Fortes’ steady presence behind the plate. The club jumped on Jeffrey Springs early, chasing him after four innings, and built a 4-0 lead before the A’s rallied. Cabrera, Morel and Diaz added productive nights while Caminero reached base four times in a complete offensive showing.

Cal Raleigh delivered MLB-leading power, belting his 44th homer as Seattle defeated Tampa Bay 7-4 and stretched its winning streak to six—the longest in the American League. Raleigh’s three-run shot in the third capped a crucial swing after YOUNG’s earlier walk set the table for a bullpen-night that held the Rays to five hits. Julio Rodríguez supplied a two-homer night, including a 436-foot blast in the first, lifting Seattle’s offense and keeping the club within a half-game of Houston in the AL West. The victory capped a standout performance from the offense while Seattle’s pitching, though imperfect, managed the late innings to preserve the win.

The key moment came when Brandon Lowe started the Rays’ scoring with a homer, and Junior Caminero later added a three-run shot, but Seattle answered repeatedly. Rodríguez’s power complemented Raleigh’s season-long onslaught, as the Mariners kept pressuring opponents while their bullpen closed out the final frames. J.P. Crawford even showcased a marathon 17-pitch at-bat against Mason Englert that underscored Seattle’s resilience and depth.

Up next, Seattle hopes to keep the momentum as it chases within striking distance of the division lead; Tampa Bay will look to rebound as the two teams finish their series. Fantasy note: Raleigh’s 44 HR pace makes him an anchor at catcher, while Rodríguez remains a cornerstone contributor with multi-homer upside.

Christian Yelich, a standout for the Milwaukee Brewers, is poised for a breakout performance against the struggling Frankie Montas of the New York Mets. With 21 home runs this season, Yelich's ability to hit low pitches could capitalize on Montas' 1.87 HR/9 ratio. Meanwhile, Bobby Witt Jr. of the Kansas City Royals has shown promise against twin's pitcher Bailey Ober, who has struggled with home runs this season, making Witt a solid pick. Tyler Soderstrom, playing for the Oakland Athletics, is on a hot streak with two homers in three games and has favorable odds against righty Brandon Young. Corbin Carroll of the Arizona Diamondbacks is also a strong candidate, facing a pitcher with a high HR rate in a favorable ballpark.