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Today · 3:05 PM ETLineup pendingAL East / NL East

Tampa Bay Rays   vs   Philadelphia Phillies Preview

September 27, 2026

Starting pitchers, lineup status, recent form and weather at Citizens Bank Park.

3:05 PM ET · Citizens Bank ParkStats availableLineups not confirmed
T-Score66
Tampa Bay Rays
97–63 · 1st AL East · T-Score 66
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First pitch 3:05 PM ET
Philadelphia Phillies
87–73 · 2nd NL East · T-Score 51
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T-Score51
First pitch 3:05 PM ET

Matchup at a glance

PitcherStat calculation
CategoryComparisonWhy
Starting pitcherPhilliesWheeler holds a modest edge in P-Score and K/9, while the ERA gap is small.
Offense vs handRaysTampa owns a .748 OPS vs RHP, 6th in MLB; Philadelphia ranks 24th vs RHP.
Team strengthRaysTampa leads 66–51 in T-Score, driven by stronger offense.
WeatherHigh impactRain risk exceeds 82% around first pitch with a possible delay window.

Starting pitchers

TB
Nick Martinez RHP
Nick Martinez
Tampa Bay Rays
2026 season (MLB rank among qualified starters)
ERA
2.94
26th
WHIP
1.07
22nd
K/9
5.48
217th
BB/9
1.27
1st
P-Score61i
FIP
3.98
HR/9
1.12
97th
OPS/R
0.704
IP
177.1
2026 ERA splits
Home ERA3.90
Road ERA1.99
Last 5 starts
PHI
Zack Wheeler RHP
Zack Wheeler
Philadelphia Phillies
2026 season (MLB rank among qualified starters)
ERA
3.06
32nd
WHIP
1.06
20th
K/9
10.85
15th
BB/9
2.71
68th
P-Score72i
FIP
3.47
HR/9
1.15
102nd
OPS/R
0.556
IP
156.0
2026 ERA splits
Home ERA2.86
Road ERA3.09
Last 5 starts
How the starters differ
·Wheeler strikes out 5.4 more batters per nine innings.
·Martinez walks 1.4 fewer batters per nine innings.
·Wheeler owns the lower FIP, 3.47 to 3.98.
·Martinez carries a 1.99 road ERA, compared with Wheeler's 2.86 mark at home.
Advanced starter metricsERA−, FIP, WAR, career vs opponent
MetricMartinezWheelerNote
ERA−7169Park- and league-adjusted; 100 is average.
FIP3.983.47
WAR2.73.5Season value.

How the lineups match the starters' pitch mix

Pitch data coverage: partial. Usage and velocity only.

Martinez arsenal
PitchUsageVelo
Sinker32%92.4
Changeup26%78.3
Cutter22%89.1
Four-seam13%92.7
Curveball4%80.0
Slider4%85.2
Wheeler arsenal
PitchUsageVelo
Four-seam36%95.2
Sinker16%94.8
Splitter16%87.4
Sweeper14%81.3
Cutter10%90.9
Curveball8%80.0

Team OPS vs opposing starter's hand

Rays vs RHP (Zack Wheeler)
6th
in MLB
0.748OPS
.600.700.800.9001.000
Phillies vs RHP (Nick Martinez)
24th
in MLB
0.704OPS
.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

ResultsTBTB·PHIPHI
+30110th
Run differential
+26213th
97–63 Record87–73
Last 10 games
Tampa Bay Rays (0–0)
Philadelphia Phillies (0–0)
2026 head-to-head
Season Series
0—0
0 Games Played

Frequently asked

Who is starting for the Rays?+
Nick Martinez is listed as the starter.
Who is starting for the Phillies?+
Zack Wheeler is listed as the starter.
What time does the game start?+
3:05 PM ET at Citizens Bank Park.
Where is the game being played?+
Citizens Bank Park, home of the Philadelphia Phillies.
Are the lineups confirmed?+
Not yet. Orders appear here when they are posted.
How do the starters compare on P-Score?+
Nick Martinez is at 61; Zack Wheeler is at 72. P-Score is PitcherStat's 0–100 season index for qualified starters.