There is a lot of uncertainty heading into Game 4 of the ALDS between the Rays and Guardians. Rain is in the forecast, and both managers have kept it close to the vest when it comes to announcing their starting pitchers. However, Tampa Bay made Nick Martinez available to the media on Thursday -- which signals that he will most likely be Tampa Bay's Game 4 starter. Martinez saw great success against the Guardians during the regular season, as he tossed 13.0 shutout innings while allowing just seven hits in two starts against them. He earned the win in both of those outings, which could put the Rays in a strong position to even up the series.
On the other side, Cleveland has yet to announce a starting pitcher at the time of publishing. Parker Messick and Gavin Williams are already penciled in for starts in Games 6 and 7 should the series go that far, so they are unavailable for this one. That leaves Foster Griffin, Joey Cantillo, Slade Cecconi, or Tanner Bibee to get the starting nod in Game 4. But no matter who gets the call, the Guardians will likely utilize some form of a bullpen game. Four total relievers were used in Thursday's Game 3, so it will be interesting to see how Stephen Vogt manages this group. Overall, though, there are plenty of question marks in regard to how Cleveland will approach this contest. Martinez's previous success against the Guardians gives the Rays the edge.
Rays vs Guardians prediction: Tampa Bay ML (-115) available at time of publishing. Playable to -120.
