GameDay Preview: Rays Begin Huge Orioles Series With Playoff Implications
In this story:
ST. PETERBURG, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Rays and Baltimore Orioles are neck-and-neck right now in the American League playoff race. The Rays are clutching hard onto that sixth and final playoff spot, and the Orioles are just a half-game behind.
They get together for the final time this weekend, wrapping up their season series with a three-game set at Tropicana Field. They're 8-8 so far, with the much-improved Orioles being the surprise team in the AL this year. They were just 1-18 against the Rays a year ago.
The Rays have their pitching staff lined up well for this critical series. Veteran Corey Kluber pitches on Friday night, with ace Shane McClanahan set to go on Saturday and Drew Rasmussen on Sunday.
The Rays would love to get outfielder Randy Arozarena going this weekend. He's feasted on Orioles pitching during his career, hitting .372 against them with with 13 home runs and 32 RBIs in 34 career games. He has reached safely in seven of the past eight games and is hitting .290 during that stretch.
"The hope is to win as many series as we can,'' Arozarena said in the Rays' clubhouse prior to Friday's game. "Baltimore, they are getting close to us, and we are hoping we can win this series to gain some ground on them. Every series down the stretch is very important. We just have to stay aggressive and try to win it.
"I don't know why I hit really good against them. I take the same approach against every team. I just hope the way I hit against the Orioles, that I can hit that way against everybody else.''
Former Rays outfielder Brett Phillips, who was traded to Baltimore last week, is not in the starting lineup Friday night for the Orioles. Here's how to watch Friday's game between the Orioles and Rays:
How to watch Orioles at Rays
- Who: Tampa Bay Rays (58-52) at Baltimore (58-53)
- When: 7:10 p.m. ET, Friday, Aug. 12
- Where: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Fla.
- TV: Bally Sports Sun
- Stream: Fubo.tv CLICK HERE
- Announcers: Dewayne Staats (play-by-play), Brian Anderson (color commentary) and Ryan Bass (reporter).
- Radio: WDAE 95.3 FM, SiriusXM Channel 178
- Latest line: The Rays are favored at minus-148 on the money line in according to the Fanduel.com website line as of Wednesday morning. The Orioles are plus-126. The over/under is 7.5.
Starting pitchers
- AUSTIN VOTH, Orioles: Austin Voth is 2-1 with a 5.53 earned run average, and was acquired from Washington on June 10. It's his ninth start of the season, and he's made 22 relief appearances as well this year. He has faced the Rays four times this season, and has allowed only two runs in 14 innings, good for a 1.29 ERA, the lowest of any team he's faced a minimum of three times. A reliever by trade, he's yet to pitch more than five innings in any start this season.
- COREY KLUBER, Rays: Corey Kluber is 7-6 on the season with a 4.05 earned run average. He hasn't pitched since last Friday, when he went six innings at Detroit and allowed three runs. Since July 6, he is 4-1 with a no decision. Kluber has faced the Orioles in every series this year. He is 1-2 with a 4.38 ERA against them in five starts. He has 15 career starts against Baltimore, and has a 6-3 overall record with a 3.49 ERA.
Starting lineups
- BALTIMORE ORIOLES: Cedric Mullins CF, Adley Rutschman C, Ryan Mountcastle 1B, Anthony Santandar DH, Terrin Vavra LF, Austin Hays RF, Rougned Odor 2B, Ramon Urias 3B, Jorge Mateo SS, Austin Voth P.
- TAMPA BAY RAYS: Randy Arozarena RF, David Peralta LF, Yandy Diaz 3B, Brandon Lowe DH, Yu Chang 2B, Ji-Man Choi 1B, Christian Bethancourt C, Taylor Walls SS, Jose Siri CF, Corey Kluber P.
Newsy nuggets
- Nugget No. 1 — The Baltimore Orioles have already won 58 games this year, and that's after going 52-110 last season. Why the big turnaround? "They've done some nice things, and their bullpen has been tough, said Rays manager Kevin Cash, who went 18-1 against them a year ago but is just 8-8 this year. "It would be good to get some early runs and avoid all those big arms.''
- Nugget No. 2 — There was some hope that injured Rays starters Wander Franco (wrist) and Harold Ramirez (thumb) would be ready to take live batting practice on Friday, but it didn't happen. Cash said they are both still a few days away. "They're both doing well. I saw Wander earlier today and he said he's about seven out of 10, still feels it a little bit. I think in the next couple of days, we'll see them take some BP. I watched Harold on video, and he looks good.''
- Nugget No. 3 — The Rays had Monday and Thursday off this week, but now play 17 games in 17 days and don't have another day off until Aug. 29. That comes in the middle of a road trip to Boston and Miami. Managing the bullpen be critical. "We've got to find ways to get starters deeper in ballgames because you don't want to overwork the bullpen with a stretch like this,'' Cash said.
- Nugget No. 4 — New Rays center fielder Jose Siri has struggled offensively since arriving from Houston at the trade deadline, hitting just .125 (3-for-24) with 15 strikeouts in eight games. Cash loves the way he plays defense, though. "He can really cover some ground defensively,'' he said. "That first-step instinct is just off the charts. With his bat, he's just trying to find his way a little bit. Hopefully with more reps he'll feel more comfortable.''
VIDEO: Watch Kevin Cash's pregame press conference
Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash met with the media prior to Friday night's game between the Rays and Orioles. Here's the entire press conference with the Rays skipper.
