Tampa Bay @ Baltimore preview
Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Last Meeting ( Mar 27, 2014 ) Tampa Bay 4, Baltimore 3
The Baltimore Orioles are still waiting for their vaunted offense from last season to reappear as they host the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday to start a three-game series. The Orioles led the majors in home runs and finished fifth in scoring a year ago, but have gotten off to an inconsistent start with the bats while losing seven of 12 games. It won’t be easy to get going against Tampa Bay, which sends talented 25-year-old Chris Archer to the mound in the opener.
Chris Davis, who led the majors with 53 homers in 2013, belted his first of the season in the 11-3 loss to Toronto on Sunday and Adam Jones has only one blast as well. Tampa Bay is also looking to find its rhythm on offense with only 13 runs over the last seven games after producing 31 in the first six. Wil Myers, the 2013 American League Rookie of the Year, is warming up for the Rays with five hits in his last four games.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET; Sun Sports (Tampa Bay), MASN (Baltimore)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Chris Archer (1-0, 1.38 ERA) vs. Orioles LH Wei-Yin Chen (1-1, 6.75)
Archer has posted two strong outings to begin the season, allowing two runs and 10 hits over 13 innings with 11 strikeouts. The North Carolina native will be counted on even more in his second full season with starters Matt Moore, Alex Cobb and Jeremy Hellickson on the disabled list. Archer is 1-1 in three appearances (two starts) against Baltimore while giving up six runs in 15 innings.
Chen has given up 21 hits over 10 2/3 innings in his first two starts, but limited the damage to eight runs overall and gained a victory over the New York Yankees. The 28-year-old from Taiwan comes in after going 19-18 in his first two seasons in the majors while giving up 46 homers. Chen is 2-3 in eight starts with a 3.04 ERA versus Tampa Bay and Ben Zobrist is 10-of-23 against him.
WALK-OFFS
1. Tampa Bay won 13 of 19 meetings with the Orioles in 2013, including 11 of the last 13.
2. Baltimore OF/DH Delmon Young, who has had two stints for Tampa Bay, is 10-for-22 with a homer in five games since going 0-for-3 in the season opener.
3. Rays 1B James Loney was 20-for-60 with a pair of homers and 10 RBIs against Baltimore last season.
PREDICTION: Rays 5, Orioles 2