Orioles vs. Rays Thursday MLB probable pitchers, odds: Baltimore takes field as sole leader of AL East for first time this season

When the Orioles open a big AL East weekend series vs. the Rays Thursday at Tropicana Field, they'll be doing so as the first-place team in the division for the first time all season. The Rays are -190 at Caesars Sportsbook for Thursday's game behind Tyler Glasnow.

The Rays started the season a record 13-0, and after a win in Baltimore on May 8 were 29-7 and had a 6.5 game lead over the second-place Orioles. Tampa Bay is 31-32 since and was swept in three games in Texas to open this week – only the second time the Rays were swept this year.

Through June, the team was averaging 5.6 runs per game with a staff ERA of 3.61 for a plus-1.9 run differential. In a 3-11 July, the Rays are averaging 3.4 runs per game (hitting .210) and allowing 4.48 for a minus-1.3 run differential. Manager Kevin Cash described the lineup as being in "a rut."

Baltimore is in first place in the AL East after the All-Star Break for the first time since 2016, which was the last time the Orioles made the playoffs. They haven't won the division since 2014. Tampa Bay is still the -170 favorite with Baltimore at +280. After this weekend, the only remaining regular-season meeting between the two teams is a four-game series at Camden Yards from Sept. 14-17.

Cash made the interesting decision to not start two of his stars in shortstop Wander Franco and outfielder Randy Arozarena in Wednesday's series finale in Texas, and to no surprise the Rays did little offensively. Both did eventually get into the game, and are expected back in the starting lineup tonight.

Tyler Glasnow (3-3, 3.78 ERA) starts on the mound. He has allowed a total of five earned runs over his past four outings but on June 20 at the Trop vs. the Orioles was knocked around for six runs over 4.1 innings in a loss. In seven career starts against Baltimore, Glasnow is 4-1 with a 3.23 ERA. Orioles All-Star catcher Adley Rutschman is 0-for-2 off him. Rutschman got Wednesday's game off but will start on Thursday.

Baltimore's Kyle Gibson (9-6, 4.77 ERA) has allowed at least four earned runs in four of his past five games. In 14 career appearances (13 starts) against the Rays, Gibson owns a 6-6 record with a 4.24 ERA and three quality starts.

The Orioles have a season-long five-game road winning streak, the first time they've won five straight games away since 2020.

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