Rays at Orioles
Apart from Saturday afternoon's doubleheader opener, the Tampa Bay Rays are tearing the cover off the ball this weekend. The Rays sandwiched a pair of double-digit scoring efforts around a 2-1 setback in the first three games of the series and will try to keep the offense going when they visit the Baltimore Orioles for the finale of the four-game set on Sunday.
Tampa Bay pounded out season highs in runs and hits in Friday's 16-4 drubbing and slugged three homers off All-Star left-hander John Means in the nightcap on Saturday before breezing to a 12-4 triumph. First baseman Nate Lowe played a big role in each of the wins - totaling three homers and seven RBIs - while outfielder Tommy Pham homered in both victories and rookie third baseman Michael Brosseau added a pair of blasts in Saturday's win. The Orioles traded away opening day starter Andrew Cashner to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for a pair of minor leaguers on Saturday and continue to struggle on the mound while leading the majors with 179 home runs allowed. Baltimore, which leaned hard on long relievers Gabriel Ynoa and Jimmy Yacabonis in the first two games of the series and was expected to start Cashner on Sunday, will have to scramble to fill the starting spot in the finale while the Rays are expected to go with an opener.
TV: 1:05 p.m. ET, FS Sun (Tampa Bay), MASN 2 (Baltimore)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Ryne Stanek (0-2, 3.26 ERA) vs. Orioles TBD
Stanek made 25 of his first 38 appearances as an opener and owns a 2.08 ERA with 44 strikeouts over 39 innings in that role. Tampa Bay uses left-handers Ryan Yarbrough and Jalen Beeks as long relievers but will need to make a roster move to add one or both after sending the pair to Triple-A Durham to get work during the All-Star break. Beeks (5-0, 2.79 ERA) last appeared in the majors at Minnesota on June 27 while Yarbrough (7-3, 4.55) worked three solid innings against Baltimore on July 1.
Right-hander David Hess started 13 games for the Orioles this season and was recalled as the 26th man for Saturday's doubleheader but threw 34 pitches over two innings in relief of Means on Saturday night. If Hess can't come back on short rest to make the start on Sunday, Baltimore could turn to righty Asher Wojciechowski, who worked two-thirds of an inning out of the bullpen on Friday but started in each of his first two appearances for the Orioles. One of those starts came at Tampa Bay on July 2 when he was knocked around for four runs and five hits in 5 1/3 innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. Rays 1B Ji-Man Choi (ankle) came off the injured on Saturday and went 0-for-2 with a pair of strikeouts while serving as the designated hitter.
2. The Orioles placed RHP Dylan Bundy (knee) on the 10-day IL and recalled RHP Tayler Scott.
3. Tampa Bay C Mike Zunino hit his 100th career homer on Saturday.