Orioles at Rays
The Baltimore Orioles have opened defense of their American League East title by scoring six runs in consecutive victories at Tampa Bay, and Steve Pearce is leading the way offensively. The Orioles aim for a series sweep of the Rays on Wednesday after Pearce continued terrorizing Tampa Bay pitching, homering for the second consecutive game in Tuesday’s 6-5 triumph.
Pearce has slugged eight of his 40 career homers against the Rays, who have surrendered four homers in 18 innings. Baltimore’s Chris Davis made his season debut after completing a 25-game suspension for using Adderall without a league-approved exemption, going hitless in three at-bats. Kevin Kiermaier has three of Tampa Bay’s 13 hits through two games after homering and driving in two runs Tuesday. The Rays have struck out 19 times in the series.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, MASN (Baltimore), Sun Sports (Tampa Bay)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Orioles RH Miguel Gonzalez (2014: 10-9, 3.23 ERA) vs. Rays RH Jake Odorizzi (2014: 11-13, 4.13)
Gonzalez pitched well down the stretch for Baltimore last season, going 6-4 with a 2.19 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP in his final 11 starts. The 30-year-old, who makes his 70th career start, allowed the fifth-most homers in the American League (25) in 2014. Gonzalez went 2-0 in three starts against Tampa Bay last season, winning his only start at Tropicana Field despite allowing four runs on eight hits in five innings.
The Rays scored two runs or less in 11 of Odorizzi’s 31 starts last season, and the 25-year-old posted a 7.27 ERA in the 10 games where Tampa Bay scored three-to-five runs. Odorizzi overcame a shaky April (1-3, 6.85 ERA) to win six times with a 3.00 ERA in his next 16 starts. He went 0-2 with a 6.52 ERA against Baltimore in 2014, surrendering five homers in 19 1/3 innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. One night after collecting three hits in his Baltimore debut, Travis Snider walked three times and added a single, run scored and RBI.
2. Gonzalez is 3-1 in five road starts against the Rays with a 2.64 ERA.
3. Tampa Bay DH John Jaso did not play Tuesday after leaving Monday’s opener with a bruised left wrist.