Tampa Bay @ Baltimore preview
Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Last Meeting ( Aug 19, 2013 ) Tampa Bay 4, Baltimore 3
Evan Longoria broke out of his month-long slump with 11 extra-base hits in his last 12 games and the Tampa Bay Rays are beginning to take off again. Longoria looks to homer for the third straight contest as the Rays visit the Baltimore Orioles in the second of a three-game series on Tuesday. Longoria batted .194 in July and had seven extra-base hits in the 33 games before his recent streak for Tampa Bay, which trails Boston by one game in the American League East.
The Orioles left 15 on base in Monday's 4-3 loss against the Rays, who have won five of six overall after a six-game losing streak. Matt Wieters homered in three of his last five starts for the Orioles, who trail Oakland by four games for the second AL wild card spot. Baltimore has dropped six of its last seven to Tampa Bay – including four straight at home.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, SunSports (Tampa Bay), MASN (Baltimore)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Alex Cobb (7-2, 2.94 ERA) vs. Orioles RH Miguel Gonzalez (8-5, 3.84)
Cobb allowed one run over five innings on Thursday in his return after he was hit in the right ear by a line drive June 15. The right-hander went 1-0 in two starts last season against the Orioles, yielding three runs in 11 2/3 innings. Wieters is 2-for-5 with a homer against Cobb, who has surrendered more than three earned runs only twice in 14 starts in 2013.
Gonzalez responded to two straight poor outings by giving up five runs over 13 innings in a pair of no-decisions. The 29-year-old Mexican, whose last victory was July 20, went 1-0 in two starts against Tampa Bay in April with a 4.50 ERA. Desmond Jennings is 3-for-13 with a pair of homers against Gonzalez, who is 2-1 with a 3.97 ERA in six career starts versus the Rays.
WALK-OFFS
1. Baltimore 1B Chris Davis is 8-for-38 with four RBIs since collecting seven hits in 11 at-bats with 11 RBIs against Tampa Bay in the first series of the year.
2. Tampa Bay pitchers did not issue a walk for the 16th time this season on Sunday, breaking the club record of 15 set in 2009 and 2012.
3. Baltimore has committed the fewest errors in the majors with 37. Tampa Bay is second at 44.
PREDICTION: Orioles 5, Rays 3