White Sox at Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays were on the verge of ending their slump and finishing off a strong pitching performance with a win until the bullpen let the team down on Saturday. The Rays will try to snap a five-game slide and avoid a sweep when they host the Chicago White Sox in the finale of a three-game series Sunday.
Tampa Bay was outscored 28-8 in the first four games of the losing streak but got a scoreless start from Ryan Yarbrough on Saturday and took a 1-0 lead into the ninth before Emilio Pagan gave up the tying run and Adam Kolarek was charged with the go-ahead run in a 2-1, 11-inning setback. The Rays, who pointed to the bullpen as a spot that might need some improvement at the trade deadline, dropped out of an American League wild card spot with the losing streak. The White Sox lost seven in a row before coming to Tampa Bay but got the tying home run from James McCann and the go-ahead RBI single from Jose Abreu on Saturday to make it back-to-back triumphs. The Rays will turn to ace Blake Snell to avoid the sweep on Sunday while Chicago counters with rookie Dylan Cease.
TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, NBCS Chicago, FS Sun (Tampa Bay)
PITCHING MATCHUP: White Sox RH Dylan Cease (1-1, 5.73 ERA) vs. Rays LH Blake Snell (5-7, 4.55)
Cease is making his third major league start and looking for his second win after battling to a victory over Detroit and struggling against Kansas City in his first two turns. The 23-year-old top prospect was knocked around for six runs - four earned - and eight hits while walking one and striking out seven at the Royals on Tuesday. Cease was 5-2 with a 4.48 ERA for Triple-A Charlotte before being recalled.
Snell is slowly turning things around after a tough stretch and allowed two or fewer runs in each of his last three outings, though he failed to pitch past the fifth inning in either of the last two turns. The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner yielded one run and three hits over five innings at New York on Monday but did not factor in the decision. Snell breezed through six innings in a win at Chicago on April 8, striking out 11 without a walk while surrendering one run and six hits.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Rays placed RHP Ryne Stanek (right hip) on the 10-day injured list Saturday.
2. Chicago placed RHP Kelvin Herrera (right oblique) on the 10-day IL.
3. Tampa Bay CF Kevin Kiermaier left Saturday's game in the eighth inning after suffering a sprained thumb.