Tampa Bay @ Baltimore preview
Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Last Meeting ( Aug 20, 2013 ) Tampa Bay 7, Baltimore 4
The Baltimore Orioles have lost six of their last eight games – four by a run – and are in danger of fading from the playoff picture. The Orioles send Wei-Yin Chen to the mound Wednesday to try to salvage the finale of a three-game series against the visiting Tampa Bay Rays. Manny Machado, Chris Davis, Nick Markakis and Adam Jones are a combined 6-for-30 with no RBIs in the last two nights as Baltimore sits four games behind Oakland for the second American League wild card spot.
Tampa Bay has won seven of its last eight against the Orioles while collecting 11 runs and 25 hits in this series. Matt Joyce has led the way for the Rays with three hits and five RBIs in the last two games and Yunel Escobar is 4-for-8. Tampa Bay, which moved into a first-place tie with Boston in the AL East - 5 1/2 games ahead of Baltimore, has won six of its last seven games overall.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, Sun Sports (Tampa Bay), MASN (Baltimore)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Jeremy Hellickson (10-6, 4.91 ERA) vs. Orioles LH Wei-Yin Chen (6-6, 3.23)
Hellickson needs to turn things around after yielding 16 runs in 18 innings over his last four starts and losing all three decisions. The 26-year-old is 8-3 with a 3.09 ERA in 15 career appearances (14 starts) against the Orioles, including 2-0 in three outings this season despite allowing 13 runs in 20 innings. Jones is 12-for-38 with three homers against Hellickson.
Chen gave up four runs over 6 1/3 innings against Colorado on Friday, suffering his third consecutive defeat. The 28-year-old from Taiwan, who was 3-0 in four July outings, yielded two runs over 5 2/3 innings and did not get a decision at Tampa Bay on April 3. Ben Zobrist is 8-for-18 lifetime with a homer against Chen, who is 1-3 with a 3.00 ERA in six starts versus the Rays.
WALK-OFFS
1. Tampa Bay OF Wil Myers leads all AL rookies in RBIs with 39, playing in only 52 games.
2. Baltimore 2B/DH Brian Roberts came into the series with 11 hits in his previous 23 at-bats, but is 0-for-9 in the last two games.
3. The Rays have won 15 of their last 19 games against AL East teams and are 32-27 overall.
PREDICTION: Orioles 6, Rays 4