Listen Live: Tampa Bay at Baltimore [Live Audio] MLB
Where: Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore, Maryland
The Tampa Bay Rays are suffering through their worst losing streak of the season and it won't get any easier with four games against the Baltimore Orioles in a span of less than 48 hours this weekend. The injury-plagued Rays look to snap a seven-game slide when they visit the American League East-leading Orioles on Friday to begin the series.
Four Tampa Bay outfielders are on the disabled list and its already-struggling offense produced one run or fewer four times during the losing streak, but All-Star candidate Evan Longoria boasts nine homers in 18 games this month for the Rays. Tampa Bay sends left-hander Matt Moore to the mound against Baltimore's high-powered lineup that leads the majors with 111 homers - 21 from Mark Trumbo - and gets Manny Machado back Friday from a four-game suspension. Jonathan Schoop is 11-for-21 with two homers and five RBIs while hitting safely in five consecutive contests and Adam Jones owns at least a hit in four straight for the Orioles. Baltimore, which is an impressive 27-13 at home and hosts a split doubleheader on Saturday, won both meetings with Tampa Bay at Camden Yards earlier this season.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, FSN Sun (Tampa Bay), MASN (Baltimore)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays LH Matt Moore (3-4, 4.90 ERA) vs. Orioles RH Yovani Gallardo (2-1, 6.26)
Moore has been solid in his last two outings, allowing two runs on eight hits with 15 strikeouts over 13 innings combined. The 27-year-old, who has surrendered 15 homers in 14 starts, yielded three runs on three hits with nine strikeouts over seven frames in a loss to Baltimore on April 27. Matt Wieters and Jones have each homered twice versus Moore, who is 4-5 with a 3.84 ERA lifetime against the Orioles.
Gallardo gave up two runs on five hits and four walks last time out to gain his second victory in five starts since coming off the disabled list. The 30-year-old Mexican recorded an out in the sixth inning just once this season and has 11 walks in 23 frames with just 14 strikeouts. Gallardo, who is 2-1 with a 3.06 ERA in three starts versus the Rays, has had his way with Tampa Bay first baseman Logan Morrison (1-for-19).
WALK-OFFS
1. Wieters is 7-for-12 with six RBIs in his last four games and is a .314 hitter in his career against the Rays with 15 homers in 87 contests.
2. Tampa Bay 2B Logan Forsythe is 12-for-41 over the last nine games, but has struck out nine times in the past four contests.
3. Orioles INF Ryan Flaherty, whose next game will be the 400th of his career, is 6-for-15 with two homers and four RBIs his last four contests.
PREDICTION: Rays 6, Orioles 4
