Tampa Bay Rays vs Pittsburgh Pirates Picks and Prediction for Sunday April 19 2026
Use Code WWWC Small market teams will square off on Sunday afternoon, when the Tampa Bay Rays battle the Pittsburgh Pirates from scenic PNC Park. The Rays have quietly won seven of their last ten games to push their record on the year to 11 wins and 8 losses. The Pirates have won six of their previous ten games. Pittsburgh stands with an overall record of 12 wins and 8 losses. Read more about this Tampa Bay vs Pittsburgh prediction! Struggling with handicapping? Try our free MLB picks.
- Game day: Sunday, April 19, 2026
- Game time: 1:35 PM ET
- Location: Pittsburgh, PA
- Stadium: PNC Park
- TV channel: MLB.tv
Tampa Bay keeps on winning despite small payroll
The Tampa Bay Rays are one of four teams in baseball that have a payroll of less than $100 million dollars. The Rays have won four of their first six home games and are sitting atop the AL East Division standings. Tampa Bay ranks tenth in the majors with a .719 OPS and has scored 92 runs through their first 19 games.
Thirty-four year old 1B Yandy Diaz has been a model of consistency for a young Tampa Bay lineup. Diaz was an All-Star in 2023 and led the American League with a .330 batting average. He is currently hitting .365 and leads the Rays with 16 RBIs. 3B Junior Caminero hit 45 home runs last season and is currently first on Tampa Bay with four.
Pittsburgh ready to challenge in the NL Central Division
The Pittsburgh Pirates were in the bottom five in payroll last year, but have increased their spending a little to become more competitive in the NL Central Division. The Pirates have won seven of their first 11 home games and are tied with Cincinnati for first place. Pittsburgh has been much better at the plate and is seventh in the majors with a .744 OPS. The Pirates are averaging five runs per game.
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Twenty-seven year old SS Oneil Cruz has been plagued by strikeouts throughout his career, but his talent is undeniable. Cruz is on the MLB leaderboard with six home runs and is tied for first with nine stolen bases. 2B Brandon Lowe was acquired in an offseason trade from Tampa Bay and leads Pittsburgh with seven home runs.
Pitching Matchup
Tampa Bay
Twenty-eight year old lefty Shane McClanahan (1-1 3.95 ERA) will take the mound for the Rays in this matchup. Across 13 plus frames, McClanahan has allowed just one home run and fanned 13 batters. Last time out, McClanahan (5 IP) worked around four walks and gave up two runs during an 8-5 road victory against Chicago.
The Rays were a middle of the pack pitching staff last season and have fallen even lower this year with a 4.44 team ERA. The bullpen has been dreadful and ranks last in baseball with a 6.69 ERA. Bryan Baker has taken over as the closer for manager Kevin Cash and has four saves.
Pittsburgh
The Pirates will counter with thirty year old right-hander Mitch Keller (1-1 2.86 ERA) in the series finale. Through 22 innings of work, Keller has limited opponents to one home run and retired 14 batters by strikes. In his last start, Keller was roughed up for five runs in four innings during a 5-4 home loss versus Washington.
For the Pirates to compete for a division title, their pitching staff will have to be elite. Through the first 20 games, Pittsburgh’s staff is third in the majors with a 3.16 ERA. Closer Dennis Santana has a pair of saves and has allowed just one run across 11 frames.
Tampa Bay Rays vs Pittsburgh Pirates Spread Pick
- Pittsburgh Pirates
Tampa Bay entered this series on a six-game winning streak, but lost on Friday night by a 5-1 final score. Pittsburgh was the lowest scoring team in baseball a season ago, but are much more respectable at the dish. The Pirates also own a major advantage in the bullpen and will find a way to win the series finale late.
Tampa Bay Rays vs Pittsburgh Pirates Over/Under Pick
- Over
Tampa Bay has been the second most profitable team for over bettors with a 12-5-2 O/U record. Pittsburgh is one of five teams in the National League that has scored 100 plus runs. Look for the Pirates to score plenty on a beleaguered Rays’ bullpen in a game that goes over the total.
Final Score Prediction, Pittsburgh Pirates win 6-3.
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