Rays at Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles lead the majors in runs allowed (207) and home runs (75) surrendered, and their pitching is not showing any signs of improvement. The Orioles will try to bounce back from another lopsided defeat and even the three-game series at one win apiece when they host the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday.
Dan Straily was reached for five runs over 4 1/3 innings in Friday's series opener as the Rays breezed to a 7-0 victory - the eighth time this season that Baltimore lost by at least seven runs. The setback dropped the Orioles to 1-6 in the last seven games and 3-11 at home, where they will play the next eight games with Boston and the Los Angeles Angels also scheduled to visit on the homestand. Tampa Bay sits at the other end of the pitching spectrum with a major league-low 100 runs allowed after Tyler Glasnow breezed through seven frames on Friday, and the Rays are winners of five of the last seven to bring their MLB-best record to 21-11. Tampa Bay will try to keep the pitching staff rolling along behind opener Ryne Stanek on Saturday while fellow right-hander Dylan Bundy tries to give the bullpen a day off for Baltimore.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, FS Sun (Tampa Bay), MASN2 (Baltimore)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Ryne Stanek (0-1, 2.81 ERA) vs. Orioles RH Dylan Bundy (0-4, 6.67)
Stanek will serve as the opener and is 0-1 with a 2.31 ERA in eight starts, covering 11 2/3 innings. The 27-year-old's worst start came on Wednesday at Kansas City, when he was ripped for three runs on as many hits and a walk while recording three outs. The most likely long relief candidate after Stanek opens things is right-hander Yonny Chirinos, who is 4-0 with a 3.48 ERA overall and came out of the bullpen against Baltimore at home on April 17 to yield one hit while striking out five across five scoreless frames to earn a win.
Bundy's losing streak hit four straight starts when he was knocked around for four runs on five hits - two homers - in five innings at Minnesota on Sunday. The 26-year-old Oklahoma native owns 34 strikeouts over 28 1/3 innings but has also issued 13 walks and surrendered nine home runs. Bundy served up a two-run blast to Avisail Garcia and was charged with three runs on as many hits over five innings in a loss at Tampa Bay on April 16.
WALK-OFFS
1. Rays C Mike Zunino is 2-for-24 over his last seven games but contributed a three-run homer on Friday.
2. Baltimore OF Trey Mancini is 0-for-8 with seven strikeouts in two games since returning from a hand injury.
3. Tampa Bay 3B Matt Duffy (hamstring) went 0-for-3 in his first rehab game with Class A Charlotte on Friday.