Rays return from historic 9-game trip for division set with Orioles
Rays Conclude Historic Road Sweep, Prepare for Orioles Series
Bharatmorningnews.com – The Tampa Bay Rays have completed an unprecedented nine-game winning streak on the West Coast, setting up a crucial divisional matchup against the Baltimore Orioles. The top club in baseball will host four games beginning Friday evening at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida.
This achievement marks the first time since the 1977 Boston Red Sox that an Eastern division franchise has swept a nine-game road trip while facing three different Western opponents. During the journey, Tampa Bay outscored their adversaries Colorado Rockies, Seattle Mariners, and Oakland Athletics by a combined margin of 65-34 across all nine contests.
Hicks Making Immediate Impact
Canadian-born catcher Liam Hicks has already made his mark despite appearing in only eight games for the organization. Acquired from the Miami Marlins, the 27-year-old has joined Jonathan Aranda as one of the team’s primary left-handed power hitters in the upper portion of the batting order.
Through his first three series with Tampa Bay, Hicks has maintained a .308 batting average while recording two home runs and nine runs batted in. His on-base percentage stands at .438 during this span. Notable moments include hitting a grand slam in Denver during his debut game and launching a three-run homer in Wednesday’s 8-4 triumph over the Athletics.
“Really happy with that,” Hicks said of his first week. “It’s a really fun group to be around. It’s really exciting what we’re doing on the field. … They’ve made me feel like I’ve been a part of the team since the second I came in. It’s been an easy transition.”
Orioles Face Tough Stretch
Baltimore encountered difficulties on Wednesday when they dropped two of three games against Minnesota, including a 7-5 series finale. Starter Shane Baz struggled, allowing five runs over three innings as the Twins capitalized on scoring opportunities.
Manager Craig Albernaz noted that his squad failed to consistently find gaps in the defense and struggled to place runners on base early in innings. Left fielder Dylan Beavers provided some offense with a three-run home run off winning pitcher Zebby Matthews in the third inning, giving Baltimore an initial 4-1 advantage before the Twins rallied with four runs in the bottom half.
“We had some pretty good swings that were just at people,” Albernaz explained. “That’s all you can do and control: Put a good swing on it. … We had a tough time, especially later in the innings, getting the leadoff guy on. It’s tough to get stuff going without getting the leadoff guy on.”
The Orioles missed an opportunity to surpass Minnesota in the wild-card standings during this series. Tampa Bay and Baltimore previously met six times in home-and-home three-game series during the latter half of May, with each team sweeping at their respective home venues.
Pitching Matchups Set
The Rays plan to utilize a bullpen game strategy for the series opener. Left-hander Steven Matz will serve as the opener after making his last start on June 2. Matz has allowed no runs and just one hit across eight innings during his past six relief appearances. He holds a 3-3 record with a 4.79 ERA in 11 career games against Baltimore, though he is 0-1 with a 9.00 ERA in two starts this season.
Right-hander Jesse Scholtens is expected to handle the bulk of the relief work after being recalled from Triple-A Durham on Thursday. Scholtens has faced Baltimore in each of his two most recent major league outings, securing a win on May 20 and suffering a loss on May 25. He surrendered seven runs on ten hits across 5 1/3 innings in those contests and maintains a 1-1 career record with a 5.63 ERA in four games versus the Orioles.
Baltimore will welcome back veteran right-hander Chris Bassitt to start the opening game. Bassitt has been sidelined since early June due to lower back discomfort and carries a 1-7 record with a 4.17 ERA in 11 appearances against the Rays.
Roster Moves
Tampa Bay strengthened their middle infield options by signing former Baltimore shortstop Jorge Mateo to a major league contract following the series in West Sacramento, California. The 31-year-old played five seasons with the Orioles before being released by the Atlanta Braves last week after hitting .240 with four home runs, 11 RBIs, and 10 stolen bases in 65 games.
With Ben Williamson currently on the 10-day injured list, Mateo’s addition provides valuable depth for the Rays as they continue their pursuit of the division title.
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