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Today · 6:40 PM ETLineup pendingAL West / AL East

Athletics   vs   Tampa Bay Rays Preview

September 16, 2026

Starting pitchers, lineup status, recent form and weather at Tropicana Field.

6:40 PM ET · Tropicana FieldStats availableLineups not confirmed
T-Score27
Athletics
61–89 · 4th AL West · T-Score 27
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First pitch 6:40 PM ET
Tampa Bay Rays
90–59 · 1st AL East · T-Score 63
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T-Score63
First pitch 6:40 PM ET

Matchup at a glance

PitcherStat calculation
CategoryComparisonWhy
Starting pitcherEvenThe starters grade similarly overall, with no clear advantage across P-Score, ERA and WHIP.
Offense vs handAthleticsAthletics owns a .721 OPS vs RHP, 15th in MLB; Tampa ranks 24th vs LHP.
Team strengthRaysTampa leads 63–27 in T-Score.
WeatherLow impactWeather conditions are expected to have little effect on the normal scoring environment.

Starting pitchers

ATH
Brady Basso LHP
Brady Basso
Athletics
2026 season (MLB rank among qualified starters)
ERA
3.86
WHIP
1.39
K/9
6.75
BB/9
1.69
FIP
3.27
HR/9
0.72
OPS/R
0.803
IP
37.1
2026 ERA splits
Home ERA4.57
Road ERA2.87
Last 5 starts
TB
Nick Martinez RHP
Nick Martinez
Tampa Bay Rays
2026 season (MLB rank among qualified starters)
ERA
2.92
27th
WHIP
1.07
24th
K/9
5.30
214th
BB/9
1.30
1st
P-Score60i
FIP
3.96
HR/9
1.03
77th
OPS/R
0.688
IP
166.1
2026 ERA splits
Home ERA3.92
Road ERA1.99
Last 5 starts
How the starters differ
·Martinez allows fewer baserunners, with a 1.07 WHIP compared with 1.39.
·Basso strikes out 1.5 more batters per nine innings.
·Martinez enters with a 2.92 ERA compared with Basso's 3.86.
·Martinez has been more vulnerable to home runs, allowing 0.31 more per nine innings.
Advanced starter metricsERA−, FIP, WAR, career vs opponent
MetricBassoMartinezNote
ERA−9673Park- and league-adjusted; 100 is average.
FIP3.273.96
WAR0.62.6Season value.

How the lineups match the starters' pitch mix

Pitch data coverage: partial. Usage and velocity only.

Basso arsenal
PitchUsageVelo
Four-seam44%92.7
Curveball18%77.5
Slider16%83.8
Cutter10%89.1
Sinker8%92.4
Changeup2%87.0
Sweeper1%81.8
Martinez arsenal
PitchUsageVelo
Sinker31%92.4
Changeup26%78.2
Cutter22%89.2
Four-seam13%92.7
Curveball4%80.0
Slider4%85.2

Team OPS vs opposing starter's hand

Athletics vs RHP (Nick Martinez)
15th
in MLB
0.721OPS
.600.700.800.9001.000
Rays vs LHP (Brady Basso)
24th
in MLB
0.684OPS
.600.700.800.9001.000

Lineups

Lineup pendingOrder from the stored snapshot; treat as unofficial until the card is filed.Full lineup page
Lineups not announced

Neither club has posted a batting order. Handedness composition, H-Score leaders and batter-vs-pitcher samples appear here as soon as the first order is filed — typically two to three hours before first pitch.

Team comparison

ResultsATHATH·TBTB
+1030th
Run differential
+25110th
61–89 Record90–59
Last 10 games
Athletics (0–0)
Tampa Bay Rays (0–0)
2026 head-to-head
Season Series
0—0
0 Games Played

Frequently asked

Who is starting for the Athletics?+
Brady Basso is listed as the starter.
Who is starting for the Rays?+
Nick Martinez is listed as the starter.
What time does the game start?+
6:40 PM ET at Tropicana Field.
Where is the game being played?+
Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays.
Are the lineups confirmed?+
Not yet. Orders appear here when they are posted.
How do the starters compare on P-Score?+
P-Score is available for one starter only.