Giants at Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are suffering through an inconsistent season and look to pull out of another downswing when they host the surging San Francisco Giants on Sunday in the series finale. The Rays followed up a 2-11 stretch with nine victories in their next 11 before losing one to Seattle and the first two of an interleague set with the Giants, who are winners of seven straight.
Tampa Bay hit four homers Saturday, but coughed up a lead in the eighth inning before Joe Panik’s three-run blast in the ninth led to San Francisco’s 6-4 triumph – its third in 23 tries after trailing through seven frames. Evan Longoria hit his eighth homer in 13 games for the Rays on Saturday, but right-hander Jake Odorizzi will get the job of trying to cool off the Giants – averaging six runs during their streak. Jake Peavy goes to the mound for San Francisco, which is 21-13 on the road and boasts three winning streaks of five or more in just over a month. Buster Posey remained hot with two hits on Saturday for the Giants and is 11-for-19 during a five-game hitting streak.
TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, CSN Bay Area (San Francisco), FSN Sun (Tampa Bay)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Giants RH Jake Peavy (3-6, 5.83 ERA) vs. Rays RH Jake Odorizzi (3-3, 3.79)
Peavy has held two of his last three opponents without a run in victories, including last Sunday when he blanked the Los Angeles Dodgers over six innings on four hits. Those two efforts gave the 35-year-old his only wins in the last nine outings, but he has limited his last six opponents to 11 total runs. Longoria and Desmond Jennings own homers versus Peavy, who is 3-2 with a 4.96 ERA in eight career starts against the Rays.
Odorizzi has struggled with control lately, which has caused his pitch count to rise, and completed more than six innings just once in his last eight starts. The 26-year-old Illinois native has walked 10 batters in the last three games, but is 3-1 with a 3.74 ERA over his past six outings. Odorizzi faces San Francisco for the first time, but is 6-3 with a 3.33 ERA in 13 career interleague starts with 78 strikeouts over 75 2/3 innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. San Francisco SS Brandon Crawford has recorded eight RBIs in his last seven games, including three in the series.
2. Tampa Bay RHP Alex Colome gave up three runs in the ninth Saturday – the first he has allowed in 20 appearances.
3. Giants OF Gregor Blanco is 9-for-20 with four RBIs during a five-game hitting streak.