Rays at Indians
The Tampa Bay Rays hope to continue their offensive surge when they complete a six-game road trip against the defending American League champion Cleveland Indians on Wednesday afternoon. The Rays have posted 32 runs while going 3-2 on their trek after belting five homers - two by red-hot Corey Dickerson - in Tuesday’s 6-4 victory to even the series and end a six-game losing streak against the Indians.
Dickerson is 17-for-42 with seven extra-base hits in the last 10 games, while fellow outfielder Colby Rasmus has made quite an impression since coming off the disabled list with four homers in his first 11 games with Tampa Bay. Cleveland’s Josh Tomlin and fellow right-hander Alex Cobb of the Rays, who are both in the midst of hot streaks, take the mound in the rubber match after 25 runs were scored in the first two encounters of the series. The Indians are just 2-3 on their six-game homestand with a trip to major league-best Houston slated for the weekend. Slugger Edwin Encarnacion provided one positive note Tuesday with two hits, including a two-run blast that ended a nine-game homer drought, after going 1-for-22 the previous six contests.
TV: 12:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network, SportsTime Ohio (Cleveland)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Alex Cobb (3-3, 3.65 ERA) vs. Indians RH Josh Tomlin (2-4, 5.87)
Cobb has strung together four straight solid outings, going 2-1 while allowing seven earned runs and 20 hits over 25 1/3 innings. The 29-year-old managed to post a victory Friday at Boston despite permitting four runs (three earned) over 6 1/3 innings with a season-high three walks. Encarnacion is 4-for-12 with a homer, three walks and four RBIs versus Cobb, who is 2-2 with a 3.57 ERA in four career starts against Cleveland.
Tomlin boasts four quality starts in his last five outings but is just 0-1 in the past two despite giving up a total of two runs in 15 innings. The 32-year-old Texas Tech product registered a season-high seven strikeouts against Minnesota in Friday's 1-0 loss and has walked only four batters in 38 1/3 innings overall. Evan Longoria is 3-for-12 with a homer and two RBIs versus Tomlin, who is 2-2 with a 4.06 ERA in six career outings against the Rays.
WALK-OFFS
1. Cleveland OF Bradley Zimmer, the 21st pick in the 2014 draft, went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts in his major-league debut on Tuesday.
2. Tampa Bay 2B Brad Miller was a late scratch from Tuesday’s lineup due to a strained abdominal muscle and is day-to-day.
3. The Indians placed OF Abraham Almonte (right biceps strain) on the 10-day disabled list Tuesday, while 3B/OF Yandy Diaz was optioned to Triple-A Columbus.