Tampa Bay @ Baltimore preview
Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Last Meeting ( May 30, 2015 ) Tampa Bay 3, Baltimore 0
After snapping their longest losing streak of the season, the Tampa Bay Rays aim to claim a road series over an American League East rival when they face the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday. The Rays won 3-0 on Saturday to end their six-game skid and even the series heading into the rubber match.
Tampa Bay's Erasmo Ramirez and two relievers combined for a three-hitter in Saturday's 3-0 victory as Steven Souza Jr. and Joey Butler hit solo home runs. The Rays hope for more of the same from right-hander Jake Odorizzi, who shut out the Orioles for 6 2/3 innings in his season debut, earning the victory in a 2-0 contest. The Rays need to generate some offense for Odorizzi, who is winless in his last four starts despite quality starts in each, as Tampa Bay has totaled only five runs in those contests. The Orioles also need to find some offense after being blanked for the fourth time this season - three of which have come against the Rays.
TV: 1:35 p.m. ET, Sun Sports (Tampa Bay), MASN (Baltimore)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Jake Odorizzi (3-5, 2.31 ERA) vs. Orioles RH Chris Tillman (2-6, 5.59)
Odorizzi has pitched much better than his record indicates, notching quality starts in nine of his 10 outings and allowing one or zero earned runs in six of them. The 25-year-old turned in a strong performance last time out, striking out seven and allowing two runs (one earned) over seven innings in a loss to Seattle. Odorizzi is 1-2 with a 4.25 ERA in six games (five starts) against Baltimore.
Tillman is winless in six starts since April 18, and he has recorded only two quality starts over that span. One of them came last time out as he held Houston to two runs over seven innings, striking out five in a loss. The 27-year-old is 5-7 with a 3.78 ERA in 16 starts against the Rays and has split two starts against them this season.
WALK-OFFS
1. Orioles CF Adam Jones, who missed Saturday's game with a sprained ankle, is 8-for-17 with a double and a homer versus Odorizzi.
2. Rays OF Brandon Guyer is 11-for-29 during a career-best eight-game hitting streak.
3. Baltimore 3B Manny Machado, who is 2-for-23 with nine strikeouts in his past six games, is 0-for-9 against Odorizzi.
PREDICTION: Rays 4, Orioles 2