Orioles at Rays
The surging Tampa Bay Rays can tie the franchise record for consecutive home victories when they go for a three-game sweep of the visiting Baltimore Orioles on Sunday afternoon. The Rays have won 10 in a row at Tropicana Field and can match the mark set by the 2008 team, which went on to the World Series, after scoring 24 runs combined in the last two games and winning 15 of 18 overall.
“We’re getting to the point where we’re really believing in ourselves,” Matt Duffy told reporters after going 2-for-2 with two RBIs in Tampa Bay's 10-5 win Saturday. “We feel like we’re flying under the radar a little bit with the other teams in the American League, but we think we can beat anybody. … We carry that confidence every day.” The Rays, who are 13 games over .500 (77-64) for the first time since 2013, will go with a bullpen day Sunday as Ryne Stanek opens the game against Baltimore rookie Josh Rogers. Tommy Pham takes a 12-game hitting streak into the contest for Tampa Bay, which is still eight games behind Oakland for the AL’s second wild-card, while Baltimore (41-101) owns the majors' worst record after dropping seven of the last eight. Joey Rickard had three hits Saturday to extend his overall hitting streak to eight games and improve to 16-for-35 with 17 RBIs against the Rays in 2018.
TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, MASN 2 (Baltimore), FS Sun (Tampa Bay)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Orioles LH Josh Rogers (1-1, 4.35 ERA) vs. Rays RH Ryne Stanek (2-3, 2.67)
Rogers, an 11th-round pick in 2015 who came over in the Zach Britton trade, gets his third major-league start after scheduled starter Alex Cobb was scratched with a blister issue. The 24-year-old gave up five runs on 11 hits (one homer) over 10 1/3 innings while splitting his first two starts, striking out six and walking three. Rogers went 8-9 with a 3.54 ERA in 24 starts at Triple-A this year, between Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and Norfolk.
The 27-year-old Stanek threw five pitches to get one out Saturday but will open the game for the 25th time this season in the series finale. The Kansas native is 0-2 as a starter with a 2.60 ERA and 45 strikeouts over 34 2/3 innings, while opponents are batting just .172 against him in that role. Stanek has given up six runs across eight innings against the Orioles this year, serving up five of the six homers he has surrendered in 2018.
WALK-OFFS
1. Baltimore's veteran OF Adam Jones, who is 13-for-33 over his last eight games, was rested the past two contests.
2. Tampa Bay CF Kevin Kiermaier is 11-for-21 with three homers and seven RBIs during a season-best, six-game hitting streak.
3. Orioles INF Jonathan Villar has hit safely in seven consecutive games, going 10-for-28 with seven RBIs in the stretch.