Tampa Bay @ Cleveland preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 31, 2018 ) Tampa Bay 0, Cleveland 3

Slugger Edwin Encarnacion made the difference in the series opener and looks continue his offensive surge when the Cleveland Indians host the Tampa Bay Rays for the middle contest of a three-game set Saturday night. Encarnacion launched his 29th homer, knocking in his sixth run in five games, during the seventh inning to break a scoreless tie as American League Central-leading Cleveland went on to post a 3-0 victory Friday.

Encarnacion, who is one homer away from recording 30 in seven straight seasons, apparently will have even more help in the middle of an already potent lineup soon as the Indians reportedly acquired former MVP third baseman Josh Donaldson from Toronto on Friday. Rookie Shane Bieber will try to start September strong after going unbeaten last month for Cleveland, while Tampa Bay will turn to Cy Young candidate Blake Snell, who attempts to tie the major-league lead with his 17th victory. Corey Kluber and two relievers cooled the Tampa Bay bats Friday after the Rays had scored 37 runs in their previous five games and won nine of 10 contests. Tommy Pham (12-for-26) and Joey Wendle (10-for-26) each take six-game hitting streaks into Saturday’s contest for Tampa Bay.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays LH Blake Snell (16-5, 2.05 ERA) vs. Indians RH Shane Bieber (8-2, 4.52)

Snell has taken his performance to a higher level since a three-week stint on the disabled list, allowing three runs and 11 hits over 26 innings in his last five starts. The 25-year-old Washington native, who has lost once since mid-June, won in each of his last four trips to the mound after beating Boston with six innings of one-run ball Sunday. Snell yielded one run across 6 1/3 innings without a decision in one start against Cleveland last year.

Bieber is unbeaten in his last six starts, including wins at Kansas City on Sunday and at Boston five days earlier - giving up seven runs combined over 11 2/3 innings. The 23-year-old UC-Santa Barbara product, who survived three homers against the Royals, went 3-0 with a 3.81 ERA in five starts during August. Bieber, who faces Tampa Bay for the first time in his career, is 4-2 with a 4.64 ERA in six home starts this season.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Rays placed C Michael Perez (hamstring) on the 10-day disabled list Friday and recalled C Adam Moore from Triple-A Durham.

2. Cleveland LF Michael Brantley has multiple hits in seven of his last 11 games and batted .333 in August.

3. The Indians have won 19 of the last 27 meetings after winning the first game of the season series Friday night.

PREDICTION: Rays 4, Indians 2