The Tampa Bay Rays will open the MLB Wild Card Playoffs by taking on the Cleveland Guardians in the first of three possible games in Cleveland. The Rays will send Shane McClanahan to the mound to face off against Shane Bieber. McClanahan is 12-8 this season with a 2.54 ERA while Bieber is 13-8, with a 2.88 ERA. The Rays have played under .500 baseball over the last thirty games and 4-6 over their last ten games. The Rays are hitting just .229 in their last 30 games and scoring 3.5 runs a game. Tampa Bay is just 21st in baseball in runs per game and 17th in batting average. Shane McClanahan averaged 10.4 K/9 for the season and led the team with an ERA of 2.54. He did not pitch well down the stretch going 1-3 in his final five starts 3.96. The Guardians finished 24-6 in their last 30 games and have lost just 10 times since September. The Guardians have hit .274 in their last 30 games as a team and averaged five runs a game. This season, they are 15th in baseball in runs a game and 7th in batting average. Shane Bieber went 4-0 with a 2.45 ERA in his last five starts. He is 1-0 with a 3.46 ERA in two starts against the Rays this season. The Guardians won the season series four games to two and won two out of three games played in Cleveland. Cleveland is 28-17 against lefty starters this season. The Rays are eir bullpen most nights, they are just 27-27 in 1-run games this season. Tampa is also just 64-60 in games against right-handed starters. TB has been a poor road team this season, 11 games under .500. Cleveland is 11 games over .500 at home this season. I like Bieber to go deep in this game and Cleveland has arguably the best closer in baseball.

Play on Cleveland.