Rays at Twins
The Tampa Bay Rays are starting to feel quite comfortable on the road and hope to continue the trend when they visit the American League Central-leading Minnesota Twins on Saturday afternoon. The Rays were 3-10 away from home in April and have won seven of nine on the road in May after opening a nine-game trek with three homers in a solid 5-2 victory Friday night.
Logan Morrison, Steven Souza Jr. and Kevin Kiermaier all went deep in the first of three at Minnesota and Tampa Bay is among the major league leaders with 71 blasts as it moved over .500 on Friday (26-25). Jake Odorizzi looks to continue his strong run on the mound for the Rays on Saturday when he takes on rookie Adalberto Mejia, who is coming off the best outing of his career. The Twins, who lead the AL Central by two games after posting the worst record in the majors last year, had won six of seven before striking out 13 times Friday and getting blanked the first six innings. Kennys Vargas had two hits and is 9-for-19 during a six-game hitting streak for Minnesota while teammate Brian Dozier has hit safely in seven straight contests (11-for-32).
TV: 2:10 p.m. ET, FSN Sun (Minnesota), FSN North (Minnesota)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Jake Odorizzi (3-2, 3.14 ERA) vs. Twins LH Adalberto Mejia (1-1, 4.96)
Odorizzi allowed two or fewer runs in four of his last five starts after spending a few weeks on the disabled list and is 2-1 in that stretch. The 27-year-old Illinois native walked a season-high three and gave up two runs on five hits over six innings in a no-decision against the Los Angeles Angels last time out. Dozier is 3-for-7 with a homer versus Odorizzi, who is 0-1 with a 5.28 ERA in three career games against the Twins.
Mejia gained his first major league victory last Sunday when he pitched a career-high seven innings while giving up three runs on five hits to beat Kansas City. The 23-year-old Dominican Republic native, who was acquired from San Francisco in the Eduardo Nunez deal last year, has walked 10 in 16 1/3 innings overall in 2017. Mejia faces Tampa Bay for the first time and has a 4.30 ERA while making three of his four starts at home.
WALK-OFFS
1. Minnesota 1B Joe Mauer has reached base in 21 straight games against Tampa Bay and is one walk from tying Kent Hrbek (838) for second on the franchise’s all-time list.
2. The Rays had struck out 521 times before Friday, which was the most in major league history for a team through the season’s first 50 games.
3. Twins OF Eddie Rosario has hit safely in nine of his 10 career games against the Rays and is 12-for-32 overall in the series.