Rays at Cardinals
The Tampa Bay Rays are showing signs of life in the quest to stay in the American League wild-card race and open a nine-game road trip that could determine their fate against the struggling St. Louis Cardinals on Friday. The Rays, who also play Kansas City and the Chicago White Sox on the trek, have won three of their last four contests after a 2-0 victory over Toronto on Thursday and Kevin Kiermaier’s return from the disabled list has been a big factor.
Kiermaier is 10-for-25 with three homers, six runs scored and six RBIs in six games since coming back from a hip injury, and the former Gold Glove winner made two crucial running catches to preserve the shutout Thursday. Tampa Bay’s Jake Odorizzi, who went to high school in St. Louis suburb Highland, Ill., will get the start in the opener against fellow right-hander Michael Wacha (7-2, 2.99 ERA at home in 2017). The Cardinals have dropped four of their last five and lost a chance to make up ground on the National League Central-leading Chicago Cubs on Thursday, remaining 4 ½ games behind, and they sit five game out of the second wild-card. Kolten Wong and Yadier Molina both extended their hitting streaks to seven games Thursday in St. Louis’ 4-3 loss to San Diego.
TV: 8:15 p.m. ET, FSN Sun (Tampa Bay), FSN Midwest (St. Louis)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Jake Odorizzi (6-7, 4.74 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Michael Wacha (9-6, 4.08)
Odorizzi looks to rebound after getting pounded for seven runs on eight hits and five walks over 3 2/3 innings against Seattle on Saturday. The 27-year-old has not completed five innings in three of his last four starts, going 0-3 with a 6.63 ERA in that stretch. Matt Carpenter is 2-for-6 with a homer against Odorizzi, who is 1-1 with a 2.08 ERA in two starts against St. Louis and 6-3 with a 3.17 mark in interleague play.
Wacha has completed more than five innings just once in his last four starts and allowed five runs over four frames Saturday in a loss at Pittsburgh. The 26-year-old Texas A&M product has given up six homers in his last six contests after surrendering just one total in the previous seven outings. Wacha permitted four runs in five innings of his only start against Tampa Bay in 2014 and is 5-5 with a 3.49 ERA in 14 interleague games.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Rays, who have not been to St. Louis since 2014, are 5-1 in their last six against the Cardinals,
2. Carpenter, who is eight at-bats shy of 3,000 for his career and five RBIs away from 400, is day-to-day after missing two games due to illness.
3. Tampa Bay 3B Evan Longoria is 6-for-17 with three extra-base hits and two RBIs during a four-game hitting streak.