Major League Baseball

Tampa Bay Rays vs. Minnesota Twins: Win $1,000 for free with MLB Super 6

Published Sep. 4, 2021 11:12 a.m. ET

By Kevin Cooney
Special to FOX Sports

They are the team that plays in the ugly dome that’s usually half-filled, with the small payroll and the interchangeable parts.

America could fall in love with the Tampa Bay Rays very easily, however.

Every conversation about the AL East usually begins with "the Yanks and the Sawks," a testament to the grip New York and Boston hold. The fact is, however, that over the past 12 seasons, Tampa Bay has more AL pennants than the Yankees (2-1) and as many as the Red Sox.

The one difference? Tampa is still waiting for its first championship.

With September here, however, it is easy to project the Rays back into the World Series, thanks to a consistent approach that has them in the top 10 in almost every category of both hitting and pitching.

They will look to keep that strong play going this weekend against a Minnesota Twins team trying to set up for the future (7:10 p.m. ET, FS1).

It is also another chance for you to win $1,000 with the MLB Late Inning Challenge. Just answer all six questions about late-game situations in the FOX Super 6 app, and you could win $1,000. It’s free and easy to play on the app on your phone or mobile device.

Here are six things to keep in mind heading into Saturday’s game.

1. Consistent excellence

How is Tampa consistent? Entering play Friday, the Rays were 10th in MLB in OPS (.738), tied for first in RBIs (672, with Houston), 11th in hits (1087), seventh in homers (180), fifth in doubles (240), fifth in triples (23), sixth in ERA (3.67) and eighth in strikeouts (1,254). They've also allowed the third-fewest walks (367) and have the fourth-best WHIP (1.18). That’s how you win.

2. Consistently inconsistent

The Twins haven’t gotten anything going this season. Rocco Baldelli’s crew is almost the opposite of Tampa Bay's, spending most of the year in the bottom third in just about all of the categories mentioned above. Injuries have hurt the Twins, but they are experiencing the difficulties that most small-market clubs go through at one point or another — except those that play in Tampa Bay.

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3. Austin's power

One of the better players in the game whom you might not know about is Austin Meadows, Tampa Bay’s outfielder and an RBI machine. With runners in scoring position, Meadows entered Friday hitting .319 in 116-at bats, with eight homers and 69 RBIs. He has 34 RBIs in the seventh inning or later.

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4. Pitching a problem

The Twins' season effectively blew up in April and May, when they fell behind the White Sox in the AL Central and faded quickly. Pitching is a large reason for that. Their staff ERA in May (4.99), June (5.90), July (4.87) and August (4.93) was just not good enough to make them a factor in the division.

5. Don’t Wander from the TV

Wander Franco is just 20 years old, with only 56 games played in the majors entering Friday. He has reached base safely in his past 33 contests. Franco is a truly special player who has long been projected as one of the finest prospects in the sport. It looks like he's here to stay.

6. Urgency

With 84 wins heading into the weekend, the Rays are heading toward home-field advantage in the playoffs. And they are only one game behind the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants for the best mark in MLB. That could be important for the Rays, whose quirky dome can cause issues for opponents. (Tampa is 43-25 at Tropicana Field this year.)

Getting the AL East clinched looks pretty sure to happen. Getting home field for a possible World Series in October? History demonstrates how huge that could be.

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