Tampa Bay @ Cleveland preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 27, 2014 ) Tampa Bay 2, Cleveland 0

The Tampa Bay Rays visit the Cleveland Indians on Sunday in the season finale for both, about a year after the teams met in the American League wild-card contest. Alex Cobb faces the Indians for the first time since that day when he pitched 6 2/3 scoreless innings to earn a 4-0 victory that sent the Rays into the AL Divisional Series. Cleveland suffered through a roller-coaster season while leading the majors in errors and the Rays will finish a losing season for the first time since 2007.

The Indians took the series opener 1-0 and Tampa Bay earned its 22nd shutout of the season to tie St. Louis for the major-league lead with a 2-0 win on Saturday. Cleveland 2B Jason Kipnis (strained right hamstring) won’t play in the finale and Rays manager Joe Maddon told reporters star reliever Brad Boxberger has pitched enough innings this season. Tampa Bay’s Evan Longoria is expected to be in the lineup and one of four players in the majors to compete in every game.

TV: 1:05 p.m. ET; Sun Sports (Tampa Bay), SportsTime Ohio (Cleveland)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Alex Cobb (10-8, 2.75 ERA) vs. Indians LH T.J. House (4-3, 3.43)

Cobb ended a five-game winless stretch his last time out by limiting Boston one run over seven innings and has allowed three or fewer runs in 15 straight starts. The 26-year-old, who has a 1.91 ERA over his last six outings despite just one victory, is 7-2 since the beginning of July. Carlos Santana is 3-for-7 against Cobb, who is 2-1 with a 2.70 ERA in three regular-season starts versus Cleveland.

House has been victorious in his last two starts and is unbeaten in six outings while producing a 2.25 ERA in that span. The 24-year-old rookie makes his 18th start and needs three innings to go over the 100-inning plateau after giving up two runs in 12 frames his last two turns. House, who will face the Rays for the first time in his career, is 2-0 in seven appearances (six starts) at home with a 2.19 ERA.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Indians’ pitching staff boasts 1,442 strikeouts to establish a single-season major league record and the Rays have recorded the second most in history (1,430).

2. Tampa Bay 1B James Loney has recorded a career-high 173 hits, surpassing his previous best of 172 with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2008.

3. Santana leads the majors in walks with 113 – 16 more than he has ever had in a single season.

PREDICTION: Rays 5, Indians 1