Rays at Orioles
The Tampa Bay Rays have looked like a much-improved team at home in April and must begin playing better away from Tropicana Field when they open an eight-game road trip Monday against the American League East-leading Baltimore Orioles. The Rays are 9-4 at home despite Sunday’s 6-4 loss to Houston, but won just once on a seven-game road trip through New York and Boston earlier this month.
Tampa Bay, which also visits Toronto and Miami on its trek, coughed up an early 4-0 lead Sunday as Steven Souza Jr. extended his hitting streak to seven games (12-for-29) with a two-run homer in the first inning. The Orioles saw their four-game winning streak come to an end Sunday with a 6-2 loss to Boston, but still own the best record in the AL (12-5) and they have won six of eight home contests. Baltimore won 13 of the 19 meetings with the Rays last season as Chris Davis belted six homers and Manny Machado went deep five times in the series. Ubaldo Jimenez hopes to follow up a dazzling performance in his last start as he takes the mound for the Orioles against Tampa Bay ace Chris Archer.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, FSN Sun (Tampa Bay), MASN (Baltimore)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Chris Archer (2-0, 3.20 ERA) VS. Orioles RH Ubaldo Jimenez (1-0, 5.51)
Archer struggled for the first time in four starts last time out, yielding four runs on seven hits in just five innings of work in a no-decision against Detroit. The 28-year-old North Carolina native had given up five runs over 20 1/3 innings in his first three turns and has not allowed a home run this year while striking out 27. Davis has homered three times and Machado is 10-for-32 with a blast against Archer, who went 1-2 with a 4.62 ERA in four starts versus Baltimore in 2016.
Jimenez shook off two disappointing starts to open the season by limiting Cincinnati to two hits and four walks over 7 2/3 scoreless innings to earn the victory. The 33-year-old Dominican Republic native had surrendered 10 runs on 15 hits (three homers) over 8 2/3 innings in his first two starts of the season. Rickie Weeks (6-for-13) and Logan Morrison (5-for-8, one homer) have had success against Jimenez, who is 5-2 with a 3.19 ERA in eight career starts against Tampa Bay.
WALK-OFFS
1. Tampa Bay 3B Evan Longoria recorded six homers and 12 RBIs against the Orioles last season.
2. Baltimore CF Adam Jones has hit safely in eight of the last nine games and has 20 homers in 151 games against the Rays.
3. The Rays placed RHP Tommy Hunter (calf) on the disabled list Sunday and recalled RHP Chih-Wei Hu.