Mariners at Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays look to build off a slump-busting victory and earn a split of the four-game series when they host the surging Seattle Mariners for the finale on Sunday afternoon. Mallex Smith had three of Tampa Bay’s 10 hits in a 7-3 triumph Saturday that ended an eight-game losing streak during which the Rays dropped four contests by a single run against Seattle and managed to score just 19 times.
Smith is 7-for-11 in the series and Matt Duffy added a pair of doubles in Saturday’s victory to extend his hitting streak to five games (8-for-19) for Tampa Bay, which is 1-5 against the Mariners this season and just 12-15 at home. Nathan Eovaldi, who sat out all of last season after Tommy John surgery, makes his Rays’ home debut when he takes the mound in the finale against All-Star candidate James Paxton. Seattle lost for just the second time in nine contests Saturday after going 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position and leaving 10 on base against three Tampa Bay pitchers. Shortstop Jean Segura had two singles and scored twice in the loss for the Mariners to extend his hitting streak to five games (10-for-21).
TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, ROOT Northwest (Seattle), FS Sun (Tampa Bay)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Mariners LH James Paxton (5-1, 2.95 ERA) vs. Rays RH Nathan Eovaldi (1-1, 3.27)
Paxton has not lost since his season debut, allowing two or fewer runs in 10 of his last 12 starts including a no-hitter at Toronto on May 8. The 29-year-old Canadian held Houston to one run on nine hits and one walk over 7 2/3 innings with six strikeouts last time out to earn his fifth straight win. C.J. Cron is 4-for-14 with a homer versus Paxton, who is 2-0 with a 3.00 ERA in two career starts against Tampa Bay.
Eovaldi gave up four runs on four hits and a walk across five innings to take the loss at Washington last Tuesday in his second start of 2018. The 28-year-old Houston native held Oakland without a hit over six frames in his first major league start since 2016. Segura is 4-for-10 with two doubles against Eovaldi, who has permitted just one earned run over 12 innings in two career starts versus Seattle without a decision.
WALK-OFFS
1. Seattle 2B Dee Gordon did not start and came on as a defensive replacement Saturday after going 1-for-9 the previous two days.
2. Tampa Bay 1B Jake Bauers registered the first two hits of his major league career Saturday after going 0-for-8 in his first two contests.
3. Mariners OF Denard Span, who is 11-for-35 in 10 contests since being acquired from the Rays, boasts a five-game hitting streak.