Rays at Orioles
The surging Tampa Bay Rays hope to make more history and sweep a two-game rain-shortened series when they visit the struggling Baltimore Orioles on Thursday night. The Rays have scored at least eight runs in four straight games for the first time in franchise history and are riding a five-game winning streak after recording 14 hits while rolling to an 8-4 victory on Wednesday.
Shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria homered for the second straight game Wednesday and is 12-for-26 during a seven-game hitting streak for Tampa Bay, which started the season with one win in nine contests and has since won eight of 13. Chris Archer will try to match his last effort on the mound when he takes the ball for the Rays against Baltimore ace Dylan Bundy, who has managed just one victory despite five solid starts to open 2018. The Orioles have lost four in a row and 10 of 11 to plummet to the bottom of the American League East after coughing up a 3-0 lead Wednesday. Manny Machado went 0-for-4 in the series opener to end an 11-game hitting streak while Adam Jones registered a pair of doubles and an RBI to help Baltimore build its lead.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, FS Sun (Tampa Bay), MASN2 (Baltimore)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Chris Archer (1-1, 6.59 ERA) vs. Orioles RH Dylan Bundy (1-2, 1.42)
Archer comes in off his first quality start of the season last Friday as he allowed two runs over 6 2/3 innings against Minnesota before the bullpen coughed up a 6-2 lead. The 29-year-old two-time All Star yielded four or more runs in three of his previous four outings and surrendered one homer in each of his five starts. Chris Davis boasts three homers and nine RBIs in 28 career at-bats versus Archer, who is 5-8 with a 4.81 ERA in 17 appearances (16 starts) against the Orioles.
Bundy earned his first victory of the season last Friday and posted his fourth quality start in five outings, holding Cleveland to one run on five hits over six innings of work. The 25-year-old Oklahoma native has enjoyed just 10 runs of support this season and boasts 40 strikeouts in 31 2/3 innings after fanning nine last time out. Mallex Smith is 2-for-5 with a walk against Bundy, who is 1-2 with a 6.26 ERA in six career appearances (five starts) versus Tampa Bay.
WALK-OFFS
1. Baltimore INF Tim Beckham (groin) was placed on the 10-day disabled list and INF Jace Peterson took his place Wednesday, knocking in two runs.
2. Tampa Bay INF Joey Wendle is 10-for-20 during his five-game hitting streak and has three hits in two of his last three outings.
3. Davis has 29 homers and 76 RBIs in 109 career games against the Rays, but went 0-for-4 in the series opener.