Rays Face More Weather Extremes This Weekend, This Time in Reverse

The Tampa Bay Rays have played more than their fair share of cold-weather games so far this spring, but they get the opposite extreme this weekend in Baltimore, with three straight games in the mid-90s at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

BALTIMORE, Md. — For a team that plays in the comforts of their 72-degree dome at home, the Tampa Bay Rays have had to deal with some weather issues on the road. They get a new extreme this weekend in Baltimore.

The Rays played six straight games in Chicago in mid-April with temperatures in the 40s, or less. There were even snow flurries one night at Wrigley Field. And during their four-game series in Seattle, the temperatures were in the 40s every game, too.

This weekend, the script gets flipped. Projected high temperatures are in the 90s all weekend. According to weather.com, it's supposed to be 91 on Friday, 96 on Saturday and 93 on Sunday. 

The weather thus far hasn't affected the Rays' play on the road. They were 6-4 in those 10 cold-weather games, and were 4-2 on those beautiful California days in Oakland and Anaheim. 

The Rays are 10-6 total away from home, one of just three American League teams four games or more over .500. The New York Yankees (14-6) and Houston Astros (15-10) are the only two teams who've done better on the road.

The Rays (23-15) play the Orioles (15-24) Friday night and Saturday night with 7:05 p.m. ET starts. Sunday's game is at 1:35 p.m. 

The two teams opened the season together in St. Petersburg, with the Rays winning all three games. They went 18-1 against Baltimore last year and since Aug. 25, 2020, they have amassed a 27-2 record against the Orioles.

The Rays have fared well against AL East foes so far this season, posting a 7-2 record, all at home. They are 3-0 against Baltimore and 2-1 against both the Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays. They play the Yankees for the first time next week, with a four-game series at Tropicana Field beginning next Thursday.

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