Tampa Bay @ Cleveland preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 13, 2017 ) Cleveland 4, Tampa Bay 3

Tommy Pham is beginning to flaunt some power after a slow start with his new team and hopes to continue the surge when the Tampa Bay Rays visit the American League Central-leading Cleveland Indians for the opener of a three-game set Friday night. Pham is 11-for-23 with a pair of homers and five RBIs in his last five games after going 2-for-22 in his first seven contests with the Rays following a trade deadline deal with St. Louis.

Tampa Bay has won nine of its last 10 games to sit on the fringe of the AL wild-card race, producing 37 runs over the past five contests, and manager Kevin Cash told reporters: “We’re getting a lot of contributions, a lot of good at-bats.” It will be difficult to continue that type of offense in the series opener as the Indians send two-time Cy Young winner Corey Kluber to the mound against Rays fireballer Tyler Glasnow. Cleveland took the rubber match of a three-game set against Minnesota on Thursday afternoon 5-3, improving to 41-25 at home, and has won four consecutive season series against Tampa Bay (4-3 in 2017). Jason Kipnis is beginning to turn around a rough season while going 9-for-15 with two homers and seven RBIs over the last four games for the Indians, and is batting .318 with 15 RBIs in 30 career contests versus the Rays.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FS Sun (Tampa Bay), SportsTime Ohio (Cleveland)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Tyler Glasnow (1-3, 4.18 ERA) vs. Indians RH Corey Kluber (16-7, 2.91)

Glasnow has yet to win in his first five outings since coming over from Pittsburgh at the trade deadline but has a 3.80 ERA and 32 strikeouts over 23 2/3 innings. The 25-year-old California native gave up three runs on five hits and three walks across five innings against Kansas City in a no-decision last Thursday. Glasnow faces Cleveland for the first time and is 1-2 with a 5.85 ERA on the road overall this season.

Kluber had an uncharacteristic outing against one of the major league’s worst offenses last Saturday, yielding five runs over 5 1/3 innings in a setback at Kansas City. The 32-year-old Alabama native had won his previous four decisions over five starts, posting a 2.21 ERA in that stretch. C.J. Cron is 3-for-5 with two doubles versus Kluber, who is 4-2 with a 2.44 ERA in eight career contests against Tampa Bay.

WALK-OFFS

1. Cleveland C Yan Gomes, who was rested Thursday, is 11-for-23 with a homer during a six-game hitting streak.

2. Tampa Bay 2B/OF Brandon Lowe is 10-for-28 with a homer and eight RBIs in his last 10 games after starting his major-league career 0-for-19.

3. Indians LF Michael Brantley has recorded multiple hits in seven of his last games, going 15-for-43 in that stretch.

PREDICTION: Indians 5, Rays 2