Rays at Red Sox
The Tampa Bay Rays went from 12 runs one day to zero the next in finishing out a 3-6 homestand and are looking ahead at a six-game road trip against a pair of teams that were in the playoffs last season. The Rays will kick off the trip by visiting American League East rival Boston Red Sox in the opener of a three-game series on Friday.
Tampa Bay's offense exploded in a 12-1 win that snapped a three-game slide on Wednesday but disappeared again on Thursday as it dropped the rubber match of a three-game series to the Kansas City Royals 6-0. "It's difficult," Thursday starter Jake Odorizzi, who suffered the loss despite allowing one run in six innings, told reporters. "We're in a lot of games, which is a plus. But we just need to find a way to close games out and get us back in the win column." The Red Sox found a way to win a close game and get back into the win column on Thursday, when Mookie Betts helped the team avoid a three-game sweep at Milwaukee by blasting a three-run homer in the ninth inning to give the team a 4-1 triumph. Betts is 10-for-22 since moving into the leadoff spot in the order and will try to stay hot on Friday against Rays right-hander Alex Cobb, who opposes Boston's Rick Porcello.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FSN Sun (Tampa Bay), NESN (Boston)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Alex Cobb (2-3, 3.56 ERA) vs. Red Sox RH Rick Porcello (2-4, 3.95)
Cobb enjoyed his longest outing of the season Sunday but could not get any support from the Tampa Bay offense and ended up suffering the loss despite allowing two runs and four hits in eight frames against Toronto. The 29-year-old has surrendered two or fewer earned runs in each of his last three turns, including six scoreless frames at Miami on May 2. Cobb got the start at Boston on April 16 and did not fare as well, yielding four runs and 11 hits in five innings without factoring in the decision.
Porcello, who is flashing his Cy Young form of late and owns a 1.69 ERA over his last four starts, snapped a five-start winless streak by holding Minnesota to one run in seven innings on Saturday. The New Jersey native did not issue a walk in either of his last two outings and has 45 strikeouts versus only nine walks in 43 1/3 total innings this season. Porcello suffered through his worst start of the campaign against Tampa Bay on April 14, when he was lit up for eight runs on eight hits and two walks in 4 1/3 innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. Rays OF Steven Souza Jr. (thumb) sat out the last three games and remains day-to-day.
2. Boston SS Xander Bogaerts is enjoying a 14-game hitting streak.
3. Tampa Bay two-time Gold Glove winning CF Kevin Kiermaier has committed three errors in the last four games.