Tampa Bay @ Baltimore preview
Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Last Meeting ( Apr 15, 2014 ) Tampa Bay 0, Baltimore 0
With three important starting pitchers on the disabled list, the Tampa Bay Rays need more from their offense than it has produced the last 10 days. The Rays look to get their bats going after scoring 14 times in the last eight games when they visit the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday in the finale of a two-game series shortened by Tuesday’s rainout. The Orioles’ offense perked up Monday with 13 hits in a 7-1 victory after losing 11 of the last 13 contests against the Rays in 2013.
Tampa Bay is hitting .223 as a team despite scoring 31 times in its first six games. Meanwhile, Matt Moore is preparing for Tommy John surgery and fellow starters Alex Cobb and Jeremy Hellickson could be out until June, severely damaging the Rays’ rotation. Matt Wieters has more hits (91), home runs (15) and RBIs (53) versus Tampa Bay than against any other team and raised his average to .340 against the Rays after going 3-for-4 on Monday.
TV: 12:35 p.m. ET, MLBN, Sun Sports (Tampa Bay), MASN (Baltimore)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Jake Odorizzi (1-1, 5.73 ERA) vs. Orioles RH Miguel Gonzalez (0-1, 9.64)
Odorizzi pitched six scoreless innings in his season debut and his numbers from his second start are a bit deceiving as Kansas City scored seven times against him over five frames. Maddon said the 24-year-old threw the ball “extremely well” and was victimized by some poor luck. Odorizzi allowed one hit in 3 2/3 innings of relief against Baltimore in 2013, striking out Adam Jones twice in two at-bats.
Gonzalez had a rough outing in his first start but gave up three runs and seven hits over six innings without receiving a decision against the New York Yankees on Wednesday. The Mexican is coming off a solid 2013 season in which he went 11-8 with a 3.78 ERA. Gonzalez is 2-3 with a 3.94 ERA in eight career starts versus Tampa Bay, with Rays OF Desmond Jennings going 4-for-18 against him with three homers.
WALK-OFFS
1. Tampa Bay LHP David Price had his scheduled start moved back from Wednesday to Thursday - the opener of a four-game series against the New York Yankees.
2. The Orioles and Rays were the top two teams in the league in fielding percentage through Monday after finishing 1-2 last season.
3. Baltimore 1B Chris Davis has reached base in each of the last 12 games while Wieters has done it in all 11 contests he has played this season.
PREDICTION: Rays 6, Orioles 4