Rays at Orioles
The Tampa Bay Rays began turning their season around on their just-completed homestand and hope to translate that strong play on the road when they visit the slumping Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday night to open a nine-game trip. Tampa Bay, which started the campaign 1-8, is riding a season-high four-game winning streak and scored 26 times while sweeping three contests from Minnesota over the weekend.
“I think it (speaks) to the energy and the youth that these guys have created here,” Rays manager Kevin Cash told the Tampa Bay Times of his 8-13 squad. “We got off to a rough start and nobody hung their heads. We were frustrated. It seems like we’re kind of righting the ship a little bit.” Jake Faria, who is also starting to change his fortunes, will try to keep it going when he takes the mound for Tampa Bay against former Rays right-hander Alex Cobb. The Orioles (6-17) lost for the ninth time in 10 games Monday night after going 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position in a 2-1 setback at home against Cleveland. Manny Machado had a single to go along with two walks in the loss for the Baltimore, extending his hitting streak to 11 games, but he is batting .231 lifetime versus Tampa Bay.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, FS Sun (Tampa Bay), MASN (Baltimore)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Jake Faria (1-1, 5.82 ERA) vs. Orioles RH Alex Cobb (0-2, 15.43)
Faria has put together two strong starts and won his first game of season Wednesday when he limited Texas to one run on five hits over six innings, throwing 80 pitches. The 24-year-old Californian has struck out 13 in his last two outings after recording just two in his first two starts, but he has walked 11 in 17 innings overall. Adam Jones is 4-for-10 with a homer against Faria, who is 1-0 with a 4.09 ERA in four games (three starts) versus the Orioles with 22 strikeouts in 22 innings.
Cobb did not sign his four-year, $57 million contract until March 21 and has yet to find his groove, allowing 15 runs (12 earned) and 20 hits over seven innings in his first two starts with the team. The 30-year-old Bostonian, who went 48-35 in six seasons with the Rays, has struck out four and walked two in his two outings. “This is tough, because I feel like I’m still a little behind where everyone else is,” Cobb told reporters. “I came here and now I’m putting them behind the 8-ball.”
WALK-OFFS
1. Baltimore LF Trey Mancini (knee) has not started the last three games but struck out as a pinch-hitter Monday to end an eight-game hitting streak.
2. Tampa Bay SS Adeiny Hechavarria is 10-for-22 during a six-game hitting streak and has not committed an error in his last 70 contests.
3. The Rays won 11 of 19 meetings last year after losing the previous three seasons series against the Orioles.