Baltimore @ Tampa Bay preview
Tropicana Field
Last Meeting ( Sep 27, 2010 ) Baltimore 4, Tampa Bay 0
David Price can accomplish a lot in one start Tuesday night.
Price (18-6) takes the mound looking to secure a postseason berth for the Tampa Bay Rays in the second of a three-game series against the Baltimore Orioles.
A victory tonight by the Rays or a loss by the Boston Red Sox will wrap up a playoff spot for Tampa Bay, which squandered a chance to clinch with a 4-0 loss to the Orioles on Monday night.
Beyond punching a ticket to the postseason, the Rays and Price have other pressing concerns. Chief among them is the New York Yankees, who are just one-half game behind Tampa Bay in the American League East.
And on a personal level, Price remains in the hunt for the AL Cy Young Award as he chases his four straight victory and 19th of the season. He probably won’t get a shot at 20 wins, since Rays manager Joe Maddon said Price won’t make his final regular-season start Sunday if the team is in the playoffs.
The 25-year-old left-hander has lost just once since July 18 and is going up against an opponent he has dominated in his career.
Price is 3-0 with a 2.59 ERA in four career starts against Baltimore, which snapped a four-game losing streak in Monday's series opener.
He beat the Orioles in his only start against them in mid-April, allowing one run on four hits while striking out seven in seven innings.
Nick Markakis, who had two hits and two RBIs Monday night, is the only Baltimore player with at least three hits against Price. He is 3-for-11 with two walks and five strikeouts.
Price struggled a bit in his last outing against the Yankees, but came away with the victory after allowing three runs on eight hits in six innings. One of his chief competitors for the Cy Young, New York’s CC Sabathia, took the loss in that game.
Tampa Bay is hoping more fans turn out for a potential clincher tonight. Monday’s game drew just 12,446 at Tropicana Field – the fourth-smallest crowd of the season.
Third baseman Evan Longoria, who has missed four straight games with a strained quad, called the meager turnout “embarrassing.”
Longoria will sit out again tonight, which should help the fortunes of Orioles starter Brad Bergesen (8-10). Despite a miserable first four months of the season, Bergesen has a chance to finish with a .500 record if he can win his final two starts.
The 25-year-old right-hander will be looking to win his third consecutive start. He is 5-1 in his last eight outings and has allowed just one run in each of his last three starts.
Bergesen has had his problems with Tampa Bay, losing all three career starts and pitching to a 9.00 ERA against the Rays.