Rays at Athletics
The Tampa Bay Rays attempt to post consecutive wins for the first time in nearly two weeks when they visit the Oakland Athletics on Saturday afternoon for the third contest of their four-game series. Tampa Bay began its trek with four straight losses and had dropped eight of 10 overall before posting a 5-3 triumph on Friday.
Brandon Lowe went 3-for-5 with two RBIs while Willy Adames belted a solo homer among his three hits for the Rays, who were outscored 26-8 during their losing streak. While halting its slide, Tampa Bay also ended a string of success for Oakland, which had won four in a row and gone 5-2 on its 10-game homestand. Matt Olson and Ramon Laureano went deep for the Athletics, with the former going 3-for-4 as he halted his seven-game home-run drought. Matt Chapman doubled to extend his hitting streak to eight games, but Marcus Semien went 0-for-5, putting an end to his 17-game run.
TV: 4:07 p.m. ET, FS Sun (Tampa Bay), NBCS California (Oakland)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Yonny Chirinos (7-3, 3.00 ERA) vs. Athletics RH Mike Fiers (7-3, 4.38)
Chirinos is expected to make his sixth consecutive start and 10th overall this season after suffering a loss to the Yankees in New York on Monday. The 25-year-old Venezuelan worked six innings in the setback, permitting three runs and five hits while registering six strikeouts and issuing just one walk. Chirinos made his first career start against Oakland five days earlier and settled for a no-decision after allowing two runs and seven hits in six frames.
Fiers has won each of his last three starts and five consecutive decisions after allowing two runs and four hits over 6 2/3 innings in a triumph over Baltimore on Monday. The 34-year-old Floridian hasn't lost since May 1 at Boston and hasn't given up more than three runs since surrendering six in three straight turns from April 7-20. Fiers improved to 2-2 with a 4.93 ERA in six career starts against the Rays after permitting wo runs and three hits in six innings at Tampa Bay on June 11.
WALK-OFFS
1. Athletics RHP Joakim Soria made his 673rd career appearance on Friday, tying Dennys Reyes for most in major-league history by a Mexican-born player.
2. Adames is riding a five-game hitting streak.
3. Oakland recalled J.B. Wendelken from Triple-A Las Vegas to replace fellow RHP Frankie Montas, who received an 80-game suspension from the league for testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance.