Colorado Rockies @ Tampa Bay Rays - March 28, 2025

Oh boy, baseball season is back, and I can feel the excitement buzzing through the city! On Friday, we have an intriguing interleague matchup that’s sure to get my heart racing: the Colorado Rockies squaring off against our Tampa Bay Rays at George M. Steinbrenner Field. You know I’m repping my lucky jersey as we prepare for this clash!

The Rockies come in fresh off a tough loss against the Dodgers, where they fell 2-1 as underdogs. Not exactly the best way to start the season when you’re trying to find your footing, but I know all too well how fickle baseball can be. They’ve got a solid lineup that can put runs on the board—averaging over 4 runs and 8 hits per game—but their pitching has been shaky with a starting ERA of around 5.575. That just won’t cut it if they hope to outlast our fearless Rays.

Speaking of the Rays, after suffering a narrow defeat against the Red Sox (3-1), they’ll be eager to turn things around at home. We all know how tough it can be playing on our turf; there’s no place like it! Our boys may not have looked their best recently either—2-4 in their last six games—but their pitchers are going to come ready to play. Ryan Pepiot takes the mound for us with an impressive strikeout rate of about 8.7, even though he hasn’t yet secured his first win or loss this season.

So what do I expect from this game? Well, given both teams’ recent performances and stats, I see Tampa Bay coming out strong and taking advantage of Colorado’s inconsistencies on the mound. With a lower batting average than us (.226 compared to our .236), it’s clear that they’ll need their bats hot if they want any chance against our guys.

Let’s not overlook that our offense also shows promise despite some recent struggles—with almost 3.7 runs per game and a .226 batting average—we’re just waiting for that explosive performance we’ve seen in past seasons! And remember, while Colorado boasts more hits per game than us (8+ compared to our 7+), we’ve got something they don’t: relentless determination when we’re at home.

Now onto my prediction—I’ve got faith in my Rays tonight! With them being favored at -225 according to oddsmakers and knowing how fierce we can be in front of our home crowd, I anticipate Tampa Bay will pull off a victory here while pushing that total score over 7.5 runs! Get ready for an action-packed evening filled with lively debates amongst fans as we cheer loud enough for everyone else in George M. Steinbrenner Field—and don’t forget your lucky jerseys!

Let’s go Rays! ⚾️💙