San Francisco @ Tampa Bay preview
Tropicana Field
Chris Archer and the Tampa Bay Rays look to carry over their history-making success over the last month into August on Friday when they host the first of three games against the San Francisco Giants. Archer went 4-0 with a 0.73 ERA in five July starts – the fourth-lowest ERA by a rookie in any month since the “live ball era” began in 1920. Spurred by first-year players such as Archer and Wil Myers, Tampa Bay went 21-5 last month – the third-best mark in July in major-league history.
The Rays also posted an American League-low 2.54 ERA in July, which is bad news for the Giants. Although San Francisco has won two straight following a 1-8 stretch, its offense remains a concern. The Giants scored a major league-low 78 runs last month and were on the verge of getting shut out for the fourth time in 13 contests before they scored twice in top of the ninth inning and survived a bases-loaded jam with no outs in the bottom half against the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, CSNBA (San Francisco), SUN (Tampa Bay)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Giants LH Madison Bumgarner (10-6, 2.76 ERA) vs. Rays RH Chris Archer (6-3, 2.39)
Even as the defending World Series champions have faded into last place in the National League West, Bumgarner has remained their one consistent starter. The 24-year-old, who celebrated his birthday on Thursday, settled for a no-decision in Saturday’s 1-0 setback against the Chicago Cubs despite yielding only four hits and striking out seven over eight scoreless frames. Bumgarner, who has allowed just one run in 15 combined innings over his past two starts, will make his first start against the Rays.
Archer turned in a two-hitter during Saturday’s 1-0 road victory over the New York Yankees – his second shutout in his last three turns. The right-hander, who posted the lowest ERA in any month by an AL rookie since Boston’s Boo Ferriss in May 1945 (0.67), is 5-0 with a 1.31 ERA over seven outings since suffering his last setback on June 18. Archer has permitted only one earned run over his last four turns heading into his first start against San Francisco.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Rays had tossed seven complete games in their past 20 outings. No other AL team has managed more than four all season.
2. In each of the six games the Giants have lost when Bumgarner took the mound, San Francisco has scored one run or less.
3. Archer hasn’t allowed more than three earned runs since his season debut on June 1 – a span of 10 starts.
PREDICTION: Rays 3, Giants 1