St. Louis Cardinals vs. Tampa Bay Rays Prediction, Odds & Key Players: MLB Game Preview for August 21, 2025

Thursday, August 21st, 2025

St. Louis Cardinals Face Tampa Bay Rays: MLB Showdown on August 21, 2025

The St. Louis Cardinals (63-65, fourth in the NL Central) travel to Tampa Bay to take on the Rays (61-66, fourth in the AL East) in an exciting MLB matchup. Both teams look to improve their records as they meet for the first time this season in what promises to be a competitive clash.

Game Overview

The Tampa Bay Rays are aiming to snap a three-game home losing streak at Tropicana Field against the visiting Cardinals. The Rays currently sit at 61-66 overall, splitting their home games with a 32-32 record. Tampa Bay batters boast a collective .396 slugging percentage, ranking them 10th in the American League.

On the other hand, the Cardinals enter the matchup with a 28-35 record on the road and a 63-65 overall record. St. Louis has found success when out-hitting their opponents, tallying a remarkable 42-12 record in those games. This matchup sets the stage for a tight contest as both teams seek to climb in their respective divisions.

Pitching Probables

Scheduled starters for this matchup are Sonny Gray for the Cardinals, who holds an 11-6 record with a 4.30 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and 155 strikeouts this season. The Rays counter with Joe Boyle, who has a 1-2 record, a 4.68 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and 34 strikeouts.

Top Performers

For Tampa Bay, Junior Caminero has powered the lineup with 35 home runs, while sporting a .521 slugging percentage. Chandler Simpson has been hot over the last 10 games, going 15 for 41 with a double, triple, and three RBIs.

The Cardinals have seen strong contributions from Alec Burleson, who leads the team with a .284 batting average, 20 doubles, a triple, and 15 home runs. Pedro Pages has also been impressive recently, amassing 14 hits in 32 at-bats, highlighted by two home runs and eight RBIs over his last 10 games.

Recent Team Performance

In their last 10 games, both teams share a 4-6 record. The Rays are hitting .228 with a 5.69 team ERA, having been outscored by 19 runs. The Cardinals posted a .238 batting average and a 4.55 ERA, with a run differential of minus seven over the same span.

Injury Report

The Rays are dealing with a substantial injury list:

Ha-Seong Kim: day-to-day (back)
Taylor Walls: 10-Day IL (groin)
Jonny Deluca: 10-Day IL (hamstring)
Jonathan Aranda: 10-Day IL (wrist)
Stuart Fairchild: 10-Day IL (oblique)
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 (shoulder)
Nathan Lavender: 60-Day IL (elbow)

The Cardinals will be without:

Brendan Donovan: 10-Day IL (groin)
Victor Scott II: 10-Day IL (ankle)
Nolan Arenado: 10-Day IL (shoulder)
John King: 15-Day IL (oblique)
Zack Thompson: 60-Day IL (lat)

Weather

Today at George M. Steinbrenner Field, expect warm temperatures around 86°F with mostly sunny skies and minimal chance of precipitation, creating ideal conditions for baseball. Light winds around

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