Marlins at Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays plugged some holes at the trade deadline and received instant dividends while finishing off an impressive three-game sweep at Fenway Park. The suddenly surging Rays can look forward to an inviting stretch against many of the game's lesser teams, beginning Saturday with the first of two versus the visiting Miami Marlins.
Tampa Bay's next 21 contests feature series against Miami, Toronto, Detroit, Baltimore, San Diego and two with Seattle, giving the club 15 games versus last-place teams and six against fourth-place squads. The Rays capped the sweep at Boston on Thursday with a 9-4 win while newcomers Jesus Aguilar (2-for-3, two runs), Eric Sogard (2-for-4, two runs) and Nick Anderson (two strikeouts in a scoreless eighth) made big contributions. The Marlins avoided a sweep at home by rallying from a three-run ninth-inning deficit to pick up a 5-4 win in 11 innings over Minnesota on Thursday. They'll give the ball in the opener at Tropicana Field to Elieser Hernandez on Saturday, while Tampa Bay will use an opener before likely turning to lefty Jalen Beeks for the middle innings.
TV: 6:10 p.m. ET, FS Florida (Miami), FS Sun (Tampa Bay)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Marlins RH Elieser Hernandez (1-4, 4.93 ERA) vs. Rays RH Diego Castillo (1-6, 3.73)
Hernandez will be making his seventh start of the year and his second in a row after tossing four innings of one-run ball against Arizona on Sunday. He is 1-3 with a 3.82 ERA in a starting role while posting a 9.39 mark as a reliever. The 24-year-old tossed three scoreless innings over two relief appearances against the Rays last year.
Castillo will be operating as the team's opener for the second time this year, having done so against Toronto on July 26 with a scoreless frame. He had a 2.70 ERA in July while striking out nine batters in 6 2/3 innings. Beeks, who last appeared last Saturday in Toronto with four innings of one-run ball, tossed three scoreless at Miami on May 15.
WALK-OFFS
1. Miami was held scoreless on 13 total hits in losing a pair to Tampa Bay at home in May.
2. Marlins SS Miguel Rojas, who has a nine-game hitting streak, is day-to-day with a hip issue.
3. The Rays are averaging 8.4 runs over their last five games.