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.

The A’s fell 8-2 to the Rays in a night where Tampa Bay jumped on JT Ginn early and never let up, leaving Oakland with a tough series-ending defeat. Ginn battled to find his command in a warm, bandbox-like environment, allowing four runs in the first and finishing after two innings. The Rays tacked on two more in the second behind a Brandon Lowe two-run homer, widening the gap to 6-0. Oakland finally got on the board with Lawrence Butler’s 16th homer in the third and Gio Urshela’s RBI single in the fifth, but the night belonged to Rasmussen, who controlled the tempo from the start. The A’s bullpen steadied for a stretch, but Elvis Alvarado surrendered two runs in the ninth as the Rays completed the win and the series split. Oakland now faces an off-day before hosting Los Angeles in a weekend set, with uncertainty surrounding the A’s Friday starter. Fantasy takeaway: Ginn’s next start is high-risk, Rasmussen remains a stable operator, and the A’s offense is still anchored by a core of Urshela, Butler and Soderstrom with upside for multi-homer contributions from the lineup.

Rays and Athletics meet in a rubber match at Sutter Health Park with Tampa Bay laying -1.5 on the run line and a 9.5 run total. Rasmussen is on the hill for the Rays and Ginn for Oakland, a contrast that traders are weighing as the odds tilt toward the favorite. The Over/Under sits at 9.5, with the Rays favored to win, but the Athletics’ recent form after the All-Star break is angle-defining for contrarian bets.

Since the break, Oakland has posted a .274 batting average and an OPS of .822, while Tampa Bay has cooled to a .222 BA and .668 OPS. Ginn’s strikeout upside is highlighted by a 4.5 K prop at +120, leveraging Tampa’s high strikeout rate since the break. The Athletics sit at +112 on the moneyline, presenting a solid sleeper bet given the numbers and the matchup’s dynamic.

The centerpiece handicapping leans toward the underdog A’s given the post-break offensive surge and Ginn’s recent form, even as Rasmussen remains the sharper arm on the mound. For fantasy and betting, this game blends volatility and value: a lean to Oakland with a value prop on Ginn’s strikeouts, and a cautious eye on the total as the night unfolds.

Tampa Bay heads west to face Oakland in Sacramento with Drew Rasmussen (TB) opposing J.T. Ginn (OAK). The Rays carry a 58-63 mark into a 12-game West Coast swing, 9th road tilt on the trip, while Oakland sits at 54-68 after a 6-0 Game 2 win that steadied the series. The latest numbers lean toward the under 9.0 with Tampa Bay listed around -130 on the moneyline and a -1.5 spread. Rasmussen owns a clean 2.66 ERA (9-5) and fired a 0 ER start last time out; Ginn is 2-4 with a 4.39 ERA and posted a 5.40 ERA in his last appearance with 9 strikeouts. For fantasy and bets, Rasmussen looks like the safer floor play, Ginn a riskier, bullpen-friendly streamer option.

Model projections align with a low-scoring night, favoring the under at 9.0 and the A’s covering the 1.5; the Rays’ road-weary stretch makes Oakland a live underdog. Depth charts hint at a grind-it-out game, where Rasmussen’s control could tilt the balance and Ginn’s stuff might be enough for a handful of strikeouts but risk against a patient Rays lineup. In short, Rasmussen is a solid cash-forward option; Ginn is a dart throw with upside in limited formats.

On August 8, the Tampa Bay Rays (57-59) face off against the Seattle Mariners (63-53) at T-Mobile Park. Drew Rasmussen will take the mound for the Rays, while the Mariners will counter with Luis Castillo. Seattle is in great form, riding a four-game win streak and six victories in their past seven. In contrast, Tampa Bay has struggled, recording a 7-12 record over their last 19 games. However, the Rays benefit from a rest advantage, having had a day off after the Mariners completed a series sweep against the White Sox.

The odds favor the Mariners slightly, with a moneyline of -131 for Seattle versus +110 for Tampa Bay. The spread sits at Mariners -1.5 and the total is set at 7 runs. Recent performances show Rasmussen boasting a 2.81 ERA and coming off a scoreless outing, while Castillo holds a 3.22 ERA. Expert predictions largely support a moneyline bet on the Mariners but suggest a play on the Rays against the spread.