The Sacramento Athletics travel to St. Petersburg on Thursday, September 17 for a 1:10 PM ET first pitch against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Jeffrey Springs gets the ball for Oakland against Drew Rasmussen, who toes the rubber for Tampa Bay. With the regular season winding down, every game carries weight, and this road contest gives the A's a chance to pick up a crucial win away from Sutter Health Park. Catch the action on NBCSCA or listen in on Talk 650 KSTE and A's Cast.

Starting Pitchers: Springs vs. Rasmussen

Jeffrey Springs draws the start for Sacramento, squaring off against Tampa Bay's Drew Rasmussen. Springs is a familiar face in this matchup — he spent time with the Rays organization before landing with the A's, so he knows this lineup and this ballpark well. That institutional knowledge could be an edge, but it cuts both ways: Rasmussen and the Rays coaching staff have their own book on Springs. Neither pitcher's current season stats were available at time of publication, so we'll let Thursday's results do the talking.

Rasmussen is a capable arm when he's right, featuring a mix that can generate weak contact and punch out hitters in bunches. Springs will need to be sharp early against a Rays lineup that has some pop and patience near the top of the order.

Tampa Bay Lineup Keys to Watch

The Rays are sending out a lineup with some interesting pieces. Yandy Díaz leads off at DH — his elite contact skills and disciplined approach at the plate make him a nightmare for pitchers trying to get ahead in counts. Springs cannot afford to walk Díaz and put a runner on base for Jonathan Aranda and Junior Caminero, who follow at first base and third base, respectively.

• Yandy Díaz (DH, leadoff): One of the toughest outs in the lineup. Springs must attack the zone early.
• Junior Caminero (3B, No. 3): Young and powerful, Caminero has the tools to do serious damage against a left-handed arm.
• Jonny DeLuca (CF, No. 5): A threat in the middle of the order who can change a game with his legs or his bat.
• Taylor Walls (SS, No. 9): Don't sleep on the nine-hole — Walls can turn the order over and put pressure on at the bottom.

Keys to the Game for Sacramento

The A's lineup has not been made available ahead of this one, but the formula on the road is straightforward: limit walks, stay out of big innings, and make Rasmussen work deep into counts. If Springs can keep Tampa Bay's lineup off balance through five or six innings, Sacramento's bullpen has a chance to close it out.

Defensively, the A's need to be clean. Road games at Tropicana Field have a way of turning on unforced errors and mental mistakes — this team cannot afford to hand the Rays extra outs in a tight game.

Prediction

This is a coin-flip matchup on paper. Springs has the experience and the motivation pitching against a former employer, and if he can neutralize Díaz and Caminero early, Sacramento has a real shot. Give the edge to the A's in a low-scoring, competitive game that goes down to the late innings. Athletics 4, Rays 3.