Baltimore @ Tampa Bay preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 19, 2015 ) Baltimore 2, Tampa Bay 1

Baltimore Orioles second baseman Jonathan Schoop ended Saturday’s 2-1 victory with a brilliant play in the field and has been a major factor with the bat over the last two months. Schoop looks to extend his career-high hitting streak to 13 contests as the Orioles visit the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday for the finale of their four-game series.

Schoop, who has belted 14 homers overall, has gone 16-for-49 during his streak to raise his average to .291 after hitting only .209 during a rough 2014 campaign. Adam Jones has recorded 13 RBIs over his last eight contests for Baltimore, which has won eight of its last 11 to pull within 4 1/2 games of Houston for the American League’s second wild card. The Rays have dropped two of three in the series – both by a run – and are 5-11 since they were last at .500 on Sept. 1. Rookie Mikie Mahtook has turned some heads lately by going 9-for-16 in his last five games for Tampa Bay, which trails the Astros by 6 1/2 games.

TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, MASN2 (Baltimore), Sun Sports (Tampa Bay)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Orioles RH Kevin Gausman (3-6, 4.15 ERA) vs. Rays RH Jake Odorizzi (8-8, 3.26)

Gausman has put together two straight solid outings, allowing one run and eight hits over 11 innings with a win and a no-decision. The LSU product, who has given up eight homers in his last six games, yielded four runs (three earned) and eight hits in 2 1/3 frames against Tampa Bay on Sept. 2. J.P. Arencibia is 3-for-5 with two homers versus Gausman, who is 1-2 with a 5.81 ERA over 48 innings on the road this season.

Odorizzi has triumphed in his last two starts, allowing three runs over 12 innings, after enduring a seven-game winless stretch. The Illinois native has limited opponents to three runs or fewer in 19 of his 25 starts and owns a 2.78 ERA and .210 batting average against in 11 home starts. Jones is 8-for-17 with a homer versus Odorizzi, who has won both of his starts against Baltimore this year.

WALK-OFFS

1. Tampa Bay 1B James Loney is 13-for-27 over his last nine contests and has hit safely in five straight.

2. Baltimore 1B Steve Pearce has hit 10 of his 51 career homers against Tampa Bay – four in 2015 and two in the series.

3. Rays OF Grady Sizemore suffered a right leg contusion when he was hit by a pitch Saturday and is day-to-day.

PREDICTION: Rays 5, Orioles 3