Listen Live: Baltimore Orioles at Tampa Bay Rays [Live Audio] MLB
Where: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Florida
Jonathan Schoop has quietly been a major force this season and hopes to continue the trend when his Baltimore Orioles visit the struggling Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday. Schoop has hit safely in 10 consecutive games to raise his average to .303 and belted the go-ahead homer in Friday's 4-3 victory in the series opener against the Rays.
Baltimore owns a two-game lead in the American League East after winning for the fifth time in six games and will send ace Chris Tillman to the mound on Saturday. Tillman will have to be careful with Tampa Bay's Evan Longoria, who is 17-for-47 with seven homers and 10 RBIs in his career against him. Left-hander Matt Moore goes for Tampa Bay, which has dropped 23 of its last 26 games and seven straight overall while going 2-8 against the Orioles in 2016. Corey Dickerson is warming up, going 9-for-21 with three doubles during a six-game hitting streak for the Rays.
TV: 6:10 p.m. ET, MASN2 (Baltimore), FSN Sun (Tampa Bay)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Orioles RH Chris Tillman (12-2, 3.41 ERA) vs. Rays LH Matt Moore (5-6, 4.46)
Tillman rebounded from his second loss with two more outstanding outings in July, allowing two runs over 14 innings combined in a pair of victories. The 28-year-old suffered through two rough starts to end June, including a no-decision against Tampa Bay when he permitted six runs on 10 hits in five frames. Tillman is 7-9 with a 4.23 ERA in 23 career outings against the Rays.
Moore has given up two earned runs or fewer in five of his last six starts, going 3-2 during that stretch, but one of the losses was against the Orioles. The 27-year-old yielded five runs and seven hits over 6 2/3 innings in that outing and is 4-6 with a 4.13 ERA lifetime against the Orioles. Adam Jones is 12-for-31 with three homers and Matt Wieters 8-for-23 with two blasts versus Moore.
WALK-OFFS
1. Tampa Bay CF Kevin Kiermaier (broken hand) went 0-for-3 with a walk and a run scored Friday in his first major league game in almost two months.
2. Baltimore 3B Manny Machado is 14-for-42 with three homers against the Rays this season.
3. Tampa Bay C Luke Maile went 2-for-3 with an RBI on Friday after being called up to replace C Hank Conger.
PREDICTION: Orioles 4, Rays 3