Baltimore @ Tampa Bay preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 28, 2014 ) Tampa Bay 4, Baltimore 5

The Baltimore Orioles received contributions throughout the lineup to post 67 runs during a dazzling 9-2 homestand as they solidified their lead in the American League East. The Orioles look to stay hot as they head out on the road for the next six contests, starting with the first of three against the struggling Tampa Bay Rays on Friday. Baltimore leads the second-place New York Yankees by 9 ½ games in the division and continues to close in on its fourth consecutive season of at least 190 homers.

Nelson Cruz paces the majors with 37 blasts and ninth-place hitter Jonathan Schoop has gone deep in three straight games for the Orioles, who lead all of baseball by 25 with 185 home runs. Tampa Bay still owns the third-best ERA (3.49) in the AL despite falling out the playoff chase with 13 losses in 19 games. The Rays likely won’t have to face Steve Pearce (abdominal strain), who has torched them for five homers and nine RBIs this season.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, MASN2 (Baltimore), Sun Sports (Tampa Bay)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Orioles LH Wei-Yin Chen (14-4, 3.83 ERA) vs. Rays RH Alex Cobb (9-7, 2.98)

Chen is 7-1 since July 1 and has allowed three or fewer runs in eight of his last 10 starts, but he gave up four runs in 6 2/3 innings to beat Minnesota last time out. The 29-year-old Taiwan native is 1-1 with a 4.71 ERA while yielding five homers in four starts versus Tampa Bay in 2014. Ben Zobrist is 12-for-32 with a blast against Chen, who has walked only 28 batters in 155 frames.

Cobb had won seven straight decisions and was unbeaten in 11 starts before losing 3-0 against Boston on Sunday but has permitted two or fewer runs in 10 consecutive outings. The 26-year-old is 3-5 with a 2.69 ERA at home as opposed to 6-2 with a 3.30 mark on the road. Nick Markakis is 5-for-15 versus Cobb, who is 4-1 with a 2.14 ERA in seven career starts against the Orioles.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Rays have recorded an AL-best 18 shutouts but have been blanked a major league-high 17 times.

2. Baltimore LHP Andrew Miller is considered day-to-day with a tender hamstring.

3. Zobrist went 4-for-9 in his last two games and needs five hits to reach 1,000 for his career.

PREDICTION: Rays 4, Orioles 1