Tampa Bay @ Baltimore preview
Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Last Meeting ( Apr 4, 2013 ) Baltimore 6, Tampa Bay 3
The Tampa Bay Rays have suffered through plenty of offensive slumps over the last few seasons, but always seemed to find a way to stay in the American League East race. The Rays will have that challenge in front of them again as they visit the Baltimore Orioles to start a three-game series Tuesday. Tampa Bay, batting .205 as a team after being swept by the Boston Red Sox, has produced 10 runs over the last seven games and lost six of them to drop into last place.
The Orioles won two of the season’s first three games at Tampa Bay and have been up and down since. Chris Davis was 7-for-11 with three homers and 11 RBIs in that series against the Rays. Davis has six homers and 19 RBIs overall and Adam Jones is also off to a strong start for Baltimore with 21 hits in 51 at-bats and 11 RBIs.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, SunSports (Tampa), MASN (Baltimore)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Roberto Hernandez (0-2, 6.08 ERA) vs. Orioles RH Jake Arrieta (0-0, 7.20)
Hernandez has given the Rays 6 2/3 innings in each of his first two starts, including his 2013 debut against Baltimore in a 6-3 loss. Davis homered off Hernandez in that outing and the right-hander gave up four runs on six hits. He has struck out 11 and walked four. Hernandez is 4-5 lifetime against the Orioles with a 5.49 ERA over 59 innings and has not fared well at Camden Yards where he is 1-3 with an 8.46 ERA.
Arrieta pitched reasonably well in his last start against the Boston Red Sox, allowing three runs on three hits over five innings before a rain delay ended his night. The 27-year-old has struggled with control in his first two starts, walking six and striking out seven in 10 innings. The right-hander is 2-3 against Tampa Bay with a 5.88 ERA in 33 2/3 innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Rays only have five home runs, near the bottom of the league, and have not registered a triple.
2. Baltimore closer Jim Johnson is 5-for-5 in save opportunities after going 51-for-54 in 2012.
3. Tampa Bay SS Yunel Escobar (4-for-41) has struggled out of the gate, but is 7-for-16 lifetime with a homer against Arrieta.
PREDICTION: Orioles 5, Rays 2