Tampa Bay @ Baltimore preview
Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Last Meeting ( Jun 27, 2014 ) Tampa Bay 1, Baltimore 4
After a slow start to June, Baltimore Orioles slugger Nelson Cruz is warming up as the month winds down with four homers and nine RBIs in his last nine games. Cruz looks to keep it going when the Orioles host the Tampa Bay Rays in the third of a four-game set on Saturday after splitting a doubleheader to open the series. Cruz belted a two-run homer in the nightcap Friday, tying Toronto’s Edwin Encarnacion and Jose Abreu of the Chicago White Sox for the major-league lead with 25 blasts.
Baltimore is tied in the loss column and 1 ½ games behind first-place Toronto overall in the American League East after winning seven of its last 10. The Rays are last in the East and tied with Miami with a major league-low 14 victories on the road, just two contests into an 11-game trip. James Loney homered in the second game Friday and leads the team with 39 RBIs - two better than Evan Longoria.
TV: 4:05 p.m. ET; Sun Sports (Tampa Bay), MASN2 (Baltimore)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays LH Erik Bedard (3-5, 4.25 ERA) vs. Orioles LH Wei-Yin Chen (7-2, 3.84)
Bedard has managed just one victory in his last eight starts, but has surrendered three or fewer runs in six of those outings. The 35-year-old did not get a decision last Sunday versus Houston after giving up two runs over 5 1/3 innings with a season high-matching eight strikeouts. Cruz is 7-for-23 with two homers against Bedard, who is 1-2 in seven career starts versus Baltimore with a 6.30 ERA.
Chen is 4-0 in his previous nine starts and allowed nine total runs over his last five outings, including three in 6 2/3 innings of a no-decision against Tampa Bay on June 16. The Taiwan native gave up four runs in 13 innings in two starts (1-0) against the Rays this year and 1-0 in three outings in 2013 with a 3.18 ERA. Ben Zobrist is 10-for-28 with a homer against Chen, who has walked 14 in 89 innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. Baltimore LHP Zach Britton allowed runs in only two of his last 25 outings and is 10-for-12 in save opportunities.
2. Tampa Bay SS Yunel Escobar has missed the last three games with a sore right shoulder and is considered day-to-day.
3. Orioles CF Adam Jones is 12-for-40 with three homers against the Rays this season.
PREDICTION: Orioles 8, Rays 3