Rays at Orioles
The Tampa Bay Rays' front office appears to be in selling mode at the non-waiver trade deadline, but the team on the field is more than making due lately with the players that aren't being sent away. The Rays set their sights on a fifth win in six tries Friday, when they visit the Baltimore Orioles for the second contest of their four-game series.
Tampa Bay got a jump on the July 31 trade deadline on Wednesday by dealing starter Nathan Eovaldi to Boston and reliever Matt Andriese to Arizona. The Rays are doing what they can to stay in the American League wild-card race, however, taking two of three from the New York Yankees earlier in the week before edging the Orioles 4-3 in Thursday's series opener. Baltimore's fate this season has long been decided, even though the club only started selling in the last week as it sent four-time All-Star Manny Machado to the Los Angeles Dodgers during the All-Star break and closer Zach Britton to the Yankees on Tuesday. The Orioles have started the second half in much the same way they played during the first, solidifying the worst record in the majors (29-74) by dropping five of six since the Midsummer Classic.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, FS Sun (Tampa Bay), MASN 2 (Baltimore)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Chris Archer (3-4, 4.30 ERA) vs. Orioles RH Andrew Cashner (2-9, 4.40)
Archer was a bit of a mixed bag in Sunday's no-decision against Miami, fanning a career-high 13 batters for his 28th career double-digit strikeout effort while also yielding four runs - three earned - in six innings. The outing was the first quality start in four tries for the former fifth-round draft pick, who hasn't earned a victory since May 17. Jonathan Schoop (12-for-31, five homers) is one of three Orioles with multiple home runs against Archer, who is 1-1 with a 7.30 ERA in two starts versus Baltimore this season.
Cashner's winless streak reached nine starts despite a solid effort at Toronto on Sunday, when he gave up just one run over 5 2/3 innings in his return from a strained neck that landed him on the disabled list. The 31-year-old has recorded five quality starts during his drought, but he has dropped all four decisions in part because his offense has scored three runs or fewer seven times over that stretch. The first loss of the bunch came at Tampa Bay on May 26, when Cashner was tagged for five runs in as many frames.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Rays are 20-23 in one-run games, but they improved to 10-4 in their last 14 such contests on Thursday.
2. Schoop, who has homered in four straight contests and five of his last six, is batting .359 during his nine-game hitting streak.
3. Tampa Bay C Michael Perez - one of two players acquired for Andriese - went 1-for-2 with a double in his major-league debut Thursday after spending eight seasons in the minors.