Cleveland @ Tampa Bay preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 5, 2013 ) Cleveland 0, Tampa Bay 4

The Tampa Bay Rays will try to keep Cleveland down when they host the Indians on Saturday. Four pitchers combined to two-hit the Indians in the series opener Friday, retiring the final 17 batters in the 4-0 victory. Tampa Bay struggled in its season-opening series against the Orioles, allowing 20 runs while losing two of three. Ben Zobrist is off to a sizzling start for Tampa Bay, recording seven hits in 15 at-bats for 12 total bases and driving in seven runs.

Michael Bourn and Michael Brantley are off to solid starts for the Indians. Bourn is 7-for-18 in the leadoff spot with three multi-hit games. Brantley is 6-for-13 with three walks. Cleveland could use more from second baseman Jason Kipnis, who’s off to a 2-for-18 start with six strikeouts, one more than third baseman Mark Reynolds, who last season became the fastest to reach 1,000 strikeouts in Major League history.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network, STO (Cleveland), Sun Sports (Tampa Bay)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Indians RH Trevor Bauer (2012: 1-2, 6.06 ERA) vs. Rays RH Alex Cobb (11-9, 4.03 ERA)

Bauer was scheduled to pitch Thursday’s season opener for the Triple-A Columbus Clippers, but Indians left-hander Scott Kazmir strained his right rib cage and will go on the 15-day disabled list Saturday. Bauer will be making his fifth career MLB start and first since July 17, when he lasted three innings as a member of the Diamondbacks in a 4-0 loss to the Reds. Bauer was the third overall pick in the 2011 draft. He was traded from Arizona to Cleveland in December in a three-team deal that sent Indians outfielder Shin-Soo Choo to Cincinnati.

Cobb also made his first opening-day roster this spring. He made back-to-back starts against the Indians last summer, throwing six innings in a 10-3 victory July 6 in Cleveland and lasting 3 1/3 innings in a 3-2 loss 10 days later in Tampa Bay. He has been particularly impressive over his last 11 starts, posting a 7-1 record with a 2.91 ERA. Two of those starts came against the Athletics, two against the Orioles and one each against Rangers and Yankees, all playoff teams.

WALK-OFFS

1. Indians RHP Carlos Carrasco is scheduled to come off a six-game suspension Sunday and will start Tuesday against the Yankees. Carrasco was suspended for throwing at Kansas City 1B Billy Butler in July 2011, but hasn’t pitched in the Major Leagues since that summer because of arm problems that forced him to sit out last season.

2. Indians 1B-DH Jason Giambi is working out with the team and could come off the 15-day disabled list Tuesday. The 42-year-old has been hampered by a lower-back strain.

3. When Rays RHP Roberto Hernandez made his MLB debut Thursday, it marked the first time Tampa Bay started a pitcher age 31 or older since June 25, 2006 (Mark Hendrickson, 32).

PREDICTION: Rays 7, Indians 5