Rays at Orioles
The Tampa Bay Rays haven't faced an opponent that currently boasts a winning record in over a month, making it even more important they beat the teams they should before that stretch comes to an end next week. The Rays hope to get back to .500 over their last 14 games following a brilliant start to the season beginning Friday when they visit Baltimore for the first of three against the Orioles.
Tampa Bay won 14 of its first 18 on the strength of the majors' top pitching staff before going on a season-worst four-game skid that sparked a 6-7 stretch despite playing seven times against American League Central-worst Kansas City and Boston, which sits six games back in the AL East. The Rays have rebounded from their losing streak by winning six of nine, but they needed a tiebreaking two-run shot from Brandon Lowe in the ninth inning to earn a four-game split with the Royals on Thursday. Tampa Bay will host winning teams in Arizona and the New York Yankees after it finishes the last leg of its nine-game road trip in Baltimore, which used a four-hit effort from Joey Rickard on April 18 to avoid a three-game sweep when the division rivals last faced each other just over two weeks ago. The Orioles have since dropped nine of 12 and haven't won any of their last six series openers.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, FS Sun (Tampa Bay), MASN2 (Baltimore)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Tyler Glasnow (5-0, 1.75 ERA) vs. Orioles RH Dan Straily (1-1, 6.75)
Glasnow passed his career win total entering the season in Sunday's victory at Boston, allowing two runs on six hits while striking out nine over 6 2/3 innings. The 25-year-old, who managed only four wins through 67 appearances (28 starts) with Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay over the previous three seasons, owns a 38:7 strikeout-to-walk ratio through six 2019 outings. Baltimore's active roster is a combined 8-for-38 with no homers against Glasnow, who is 1-0 with a 2.45 ERA in two career starts versus the Orioles.
Straily yielded one unearned run and three hits Saturday in Minnesota but did not factor into the decision after throwing 89 pitches through four innings. The Marshall product has settled in after giving up 10 runs in his first 4 2/3 frames with Baltimore, permitting a total of five runs (four earned) over 14 innings spanning his last three turns. Mike Zunino has a home run and two strikeouts in four career at-bats versus Straily, who is 1-1 with a 3.75 ERA in two career starts against Tampa Bay.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Rays have yielded two runs or fewer in 16 of their 31 games and one run or less in 11 games - both marks are the best in the majors.
2. Rickard is a career .311 hitter against Tampa Bay - his best average against any AL opponent.
3. Lowe and Glasnow were named the AL Rookie of the Month and AL Pitcher of the Month, respectively, on Thursday.