Tampa Bay @ Seattle preview
Safeco Field
Last Meeting ( Sep 7, 2013 ) Tampa Bay 2, Seattle 6
The Tampa Bay Rays have lost 11 of 14 games as their lead over Cleveland and Baltimore for the American League’s second wild-card spot has dwindled to one game. The Rays attempt to avoid falling into a tie with either the Indians or Orioles when they visit the Seattle Mariners on Sunday in the finale of the three-game set. Seattle won the first two games, scoring six runs in each to further Tampa Bay’s slump.
The Rays are just 2-7 on a 10-game West Coast trip that began with sets against the Oakland Athletics and Los Angeles Angels. Evan Longoria ended a 12-game homerless drought with a two-run blast that accounted for Tampa Bay’s lone runs on Saturday. Seattle's Kendrys Morales went 3-for-4 with a homer on Saturday and is 7-for-18 with two blasts and five RBIs over the last four games.
TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, Sun Sports (Tampa Bay), ROOT (Seattle)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays LH Matt Moore (15-3, 3.27 ERA) vs. Mariners RH Erasmo Ramirez (5-1, 5.07)
Moore missed five weeks with an elbow injury before beating the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday in his return. He registered his seventh straight victory, allowing one unearned run and four hits in 5 1/3 innings, but did have command issues as he walked four. Moore is 1-1 with a 1.80 ERA in three career starts against Seattle but hasn’t faced the Mariners this season.
Ramirez has allowed only eight earned runs over his last four outings but is just 1-1 during the stretch. He received a no-decision against the Kansas City Royals in his last turn, when he gave up three runs and seven hits in 6 1/3 innings. Ramirez defeated the Rays on Aug. 13 as he allowed four runs and seven hits in 5 1/3 frames.
WALK-OFFS
1. Rays 2B Ben Zobrist was hitless in four at-bats on Saturday after reaching base 13 times (eight hits, five walks) in his previous five games.
2. Switch-hitting 1B Justin Smoak hit his 16th homer for Seattle on Saturday, with all of them coming while batting left-handed.
3. Tampa Bay OF Wil Myers is 8-for-20 over the last five games.
PREDICTION: Rays 4, Mariners 3