Indians at Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays have strung together critical back-to-back wins against teams in playoff position and look to keep it going when they host the Cleveland Indians for the second of a three-game set Saturday. Jesus Aguilar broke open a tight contest with a three-run blast in the seventh inning as the Rays knocked off the Indians 4-0 on Friday for their fourth victory in the first five games of the season series.
Aguilar is batting .279 in 23 contests since coming over in a trade with Milwaukee after hitting his second homer for Tampa Bay, which trails Oakland by one game for the second wild card in the American League and pulled within 1 1/2 of Cleveland for the top spot. Left-hander Jalen Beeks looks to turn things around as he is slated to get the bulk innings after an opener on Saturday and the Indians will counter with rookie right-hander Zach Plesac, who has won four of his last five decisions. Cleveland managed just five hits in the series opener and may have lost outfielder Tyler Naquin, who left the game on a cart with a right knee injury after running into the wall in left field and was due to get an MRI. Francisco Lindor went 0-for-4 to end his 11-game hitting streak for the Indians, but teammate Carlos Santana had a hit to keep his batting average at .340 in August and walked for the 23rd time this month.
TV: 6:10 p.m. ET, STO (Cleveland), FS Sun (Tampa Bay)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Indians RH Zach Plesac (7-4, 3.40 ERA) vs. Rays RH Diego Castillo (2-8, 3.76)
Plesac continues to validate his spot in the rotation after allowing one run on four hits and two walks over 5 2/3 innings to earn the win over Kansas City last Friday. The 24-year-old Ball State product limited 10 opponents to two or fewer runs in 16 starts this season, but has served up 15 homers across 87 1/3 innings overall. Plesac, who faces Tampa Bay for the first time, is 2-3 with a 3.86 ERA in seven starts on the road in 2019.
Castillo is expected to open the game for the sixth time this year and is 0-1 while giving up three earned runs over six innings in the role. Jalen Beeks (4-3, 4.55 ERA), who is likely to come on in the second inning, has struggled mightily of late but held Cleveland to two hits over 4 2/3 scoreless innings in a win on May 26. Beeks is 0-2 with a 7.54 ERA in August after giving up seven runs on 11 hits over five innings at Baltimore last Sunday.
WALK-OFFS
1. Cleveland OF Yasiel Puig struck out twice Friday and is hitless in his last 13 at-bats.
2. Tampa Bay 1B-DH Ji-Man Choi is 5-for-11 with a homer and four RBIs over his last three contests.
3. Indians RH Carlos Carrasco, who has been out since May when he was diagnosed with leukemia, is expected to re-instated Sunday.