St. Louis Cardinals vs. Tampa Bay Rays: Game Preview, Odds, Pitching Matchup for August 22, 2025

Friday, August 22nd, 2025

St. Louis Cardinals vs. Tampa Bay Rays: MLB Game Preview, August 22, 2025

The St. Louis Cardinals (64-65, fourth in the NL Central) travel to face the Tampa Bay Rays (61-67, fourth in the AL East) in an exciting MLB matchup on Friday evening in Tampa, Florida. First pitch is set for 7:35 p.m. EDT.

Pitching Matchup

The Cardinals will send Miles Mikolas (6-9, 4.99 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 80 strikeouts) to the mound as he looks to keep Tampa Bay’s hitters in check. Opposing him will be Adrian Houser (6-4, 2.67 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 60 strikeouts), who has delivered steady performances for the Rays all season long.

Game Odds and Total

The Rays are favored at -132, while the Cardinals are listed at +111. The over/under for the game is set at 9 runs, indicating expectations for a solid offensive output from both sides.

Team Insights

Tampa Bay enters this contest aiming to put an end to their four-game home losing streak. The Rays hold a 32-33 record at home and come in with the American League's eighth-best team on-base percentage at .313.

The Cardinals, meanwhile, have struggled on the road (29-35), but their offense has been formidable when the power is on display, boasting a 25-9 record when hitting at least two home runs in a game.

This will be the second meeting between these two teams this season, adding to the anticipation as both clubs eye a much-needed win.

Top Performers to Watch

For the Rays, Junior Caminero is one to watch, boasting 21 doubles, 35 home runs, and a .255 batting average. Brandon Lowe has also shown flashes lately, going 8 for 36 with a double and two home runs over his last 10 games.

The Cardinals look to Alec Burleson (.285 batting average, 20 doubles, 15 home runs, 59 RBI) for offense, while Lars Nootbaar has been hot recently with 15 hits in his last 41 at-bats, including a home run and four RBI over the past 10 games.

Recent Performance

In their last 10 games, both teams have identical 4-6 records. The Rays have posted a .239 team batting average and a 5.52 ERA, having been outscored by 19 runs. The Cardinals, slightly ahead with a .251 batting average and a 4.85 ERA, have been outscored by five runs over that span.

Injury Updates

The Rays are managing a lengthy injured list, with key absences including Yandy Diaz (day-to-day, hamstring), Stuart Fairchild (60-Day IL, oblique), Ha-Seong Kim (10-Day IL, back), Taylor Walls (10-Day IL, groin), Jonny Deluca (10-Day IL, hamstring), Jonathan Aranda (10-Day IL, wrist), Manuel Rodriguez (60-Day IL, forearm), Hunter Bigge (60-Day IL, lat), Richie Palacios (60-Day IL, knee), Shane McClanahan (60-Day IL, tricep), Alex Faedo (60-Day IL

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