Two struggling teams will take on one another, when the Tampa Bay Rays host the Baltimore Orioles on Friday to open a three-game set. Both squads are 2-4 since the All-Star break after Tampa Bay dropped two of three at Philadelphia — which owns the worst record in baseball — while Baltimore was swept in three games in the Bronx.
The Rays have cooled off dramatically since holding a 40-30 record while leading the AL East, before they lost 19 of the last 27 contests.
Kind of a little bit of a gut check for all of us, I think. Myself included, Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash told Marc Topkin (Tampa Bay Times) after a 5-4 loss Wednesday. If 24 hours off helps to do that, evaluate that, then so be it. We need to kind of flip a switch here. Now.
Tampa Bay is now 48-49, six-and-a-half games out of first place in the AL East.
On the other hand, the Orioles were outscored 16-8 by the Yankees and have struggled in their last 19 games — Baltimore are winners of just five games since June 28. Baltimore’s starters are 30-38 with a 4.34 ERA, while the relievers stand 16-10 with a 2.81 mark. It will be incumbent upon the Rays to hit Chris Tillman, Miguel Gonzalez, and Wei-Yin Chen early, lest they be faced with the tall task of trying to score runs off a top-notch bullpen.
The Orioles are now 46-48, seven games behind the Yankees and in fourth place.
Chris Archer, Erasmo Ramirez, and Matt Moore will take the hill for Tampa Bay over the next three days. Archer (9-7, 2.73) attempts to end a four-game winless streak after allowing two runs over seven innings in his last start at Toronto. The 26 year-old righty, who boasts 153 strikeouts in 128-2/3 innings, convinced Rays skipper Kevin Cash to give him the start Friday:
I just indirectly let Cash know that I’d like to pitch every five days as much as I possibly can just to impact the team while I’m feeling good.
There may come a point in the season where Smyly comes back and there’s a lot of off-days in August and I might ask if I can get six days. But the All-Star break rejuvenated me and my body feels good. So I kind of said I can throw every fifth day, I don’t need an extra day if it works out for the team.
Archer has been better on the road (6-2, 2.26 ERA) than at home (3-5, 3.13), and is 0-2 with a 5.40 ERA in two starts against the Orioles this season (1-4 all time in seven appearances).
Ramirez (8-3, 3.54 ERA) allowed just one run on four hits while striking out four in 4-2/3 innings on Saturday — although Ramirez’s short outing had more to do with Cash’s lack of trust in the hurler. Erasmo’s strength is keeping the ball in play. He’s only given up seven home runs this season and his ERA has been on a steady decline since April.
Moore (1-1, 7.23 ERA) struggled in a loss to the Phillies on Monday, allowing four runs in 4-2/3 innings. The lefty has struggled since his return from the DL, and likely hasn’t pitched more than 90 pitches because the team is trying to ease him back in. In his previous four starts, Moore has given up 15 earned runs, though he’s got a decent 4-3, 3.86 ERA in his career against Baltimore.
Chris Tillman: Tillman (7-7, 4.96 ERA) is 5-0 in his last eight starts, allowing four total runs over the past four across 25-2/3 innings, and trimming his ERA by more than one run. The 27 year-old hurler’s last loss was May 31 against the Rays, when he was hammered for six runs (five earned) in 4-2/3 innings. Tillman is 5-8 with a 4.05 ERA in 17 career starts versus Tampa Bay. Key matchups: Joey Butler (2-3, 2B), David DeJesus (4-15, RBI, 2 BB), Jake Elmore (1-2), Brandon Guyer (2-6), John Jaso (4-16, 2 2B, 1 RBI, 5 BB), Evan Longoria (15-40, 3 2B, 6 HR, 9 RBI, 5 BB), Steven Souza Jr. (3-9, 2B, HR, 3 RBI).
Miguel Gonzalez: Gonzalez (8-6, 4.21 ERA) allowed six runs on nine hits and two walks with four strikeouts against the Nationals on Saturday. The 31 year-old righty has won two of this last three starts, however, the Orioles scored nine runs in both of those games. His ERA has ballooned from 2.93 in mid-May to where it sits now. And while he gave up six home runs in his first eight starts this season, in his last nine he’s given up 11. Nevertheless, Tampa Bay has an ugly, combined .223 BA/.317 OBP/.382 SLG/.699 line against Gonzalez in 157 total at-bats. Key matchups: Tim Beckham (1-3), David DeJesus (4-15, 3 BB), Jake Elmore (1-4), Logan Forsythe (3-9, 2B, BB), John Jaso (1-3), Steven Souza Jr. (1-4, HR, RBI, BB).
Wei-Yin Chen: Chen (4-6, 2.86 ERA) gave up three runs on 10 hits with three strikeouts and no walks against the Yankees on Tuesday. He has turned in six quality starts, and even in his last non-quality start against Boston Chen still won the game. This will be the 30 year-olds third start at the Trop this season — the previous two were non-decisions — but the Orioles won both games. Key matchups: Joey Butler (3-6, HR, RBI), Logan Forsythe (6-20, 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 2 BB), Brandon Guyer (5-14, 3 2B), Kevin Kiermaier (4-9, 3B, HR, 2 RBI), James Loney (5-16, 2 2B, HR, RBI), Evan Longoria (8-28, 3 2B, 4 RBI, 6 BB).
Noteworthiness
— If the Rays are going to get back to their winning form, it will be up to the face of the franchise to lead the way.
But if they are going to get substantially better, or even slightly more productive, they have to look no further than the No. 3 spot in their lineup, writes Marc Topkin.
Evan Longoria hitting like the Evan Longoria of old — say, oh, 2013 — would provide the single biggest boost to their lineup, giving them that masher, that beast, that guy who can carry them and cause other teams to cower.
Longoria acknowledged the urgency of the situation, with Tampa Bay losing 19 of their past 27 games and their goal of playing meaningful (i.e., playoff-contending) games in September slipping away:
It’s been tough. It’s been tough just because I know I’m better than this. And I know at some point I’m going to figure it out. It’s just, I don’t know … I told (manager Kevin) Cash the other day, I felt like I never played the game before.
— Logan Forsythe has hit safely in all six games since the All-Star break, going is 8-19 with a homer and five RBI.
— Chris Davis has homered in back-to-back games and joins J.J. Hardy with a six-game hitting streak.