The Tampa Bay Rays hope Yandy Diaz will be available on Wednesday afternoon as they attempt to extend their hot start.
The Rays will be in search of their major-league-leading sixth series sweep of the season when they face the Baltimore Orioles to conclude a three-game set in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Diaz is riding a six-game hitting streak and has helped propel the Rays to the best record in the big leagues at a season-high 17 games above .500. After going 2-for-3 with a homer on Tuesday, he is 11-for-24 (.458) during his hitting streak and leads the Rays in batting average (.316), hits (55), on-base percentage (.394) and OPS (.900).
However, in the eighth inning of Tampa Bay’s 4-1 win over the Orioles on Tuesday, Diaz exited the game after a Yennier Cano pitch hit him in the left hand. Rays manager Kevin Cash didn’t have a postgame update on Diaz’s status for Wednesday.
“Yandy is definitely on a heater right now,” Cash said. “He’s swinging the bat really well. He’s a guy that is on time and locked into every pitch that he swings at right now. He’s laying off tough pitches and is hanging in there on some pitches to extend the at-bat. And when he gets a pitch he can handle, he’s found a lot of success.”
Even though Griffin Jax gave up a leadoff homer to Taylor Ward on Tuesday, it was the only run he allowed over five innings. Jax was sure the Rays’ offense would provide support.
“There’s a lot of confidence,” he said. “With the way we’ve been swinging it, if you keep it close, we’ll pull away most of the time.”
Tampa Bay left-hander Steven Matz (4-1, 3.86 ERA) is scheduled to get the start on Wednesday in his return from the 15-day injured list. He has been sidelined due to left elbow inflammation.
Matz last pitched on May 3, when he received a no-decision after giving up one run on four hits in six innings against the San Francisco Giants. He walked two and struck out one as the Rays rallied for a 2-1 home win in 10 innings.
In nine career games (five starts) against Baltimore, Matz is 3-2 with one save and a 3.93 ERA.
Baltimore has lost four of its past five games and has sunk to last place in the American League East.
One of the Orioles’ few bright spots on Tuesday was Ward socking his second homer of the season. Baltimore manager Craig Albernaz lauded his leadoff man’s approach.
“He’s been outstanding all year,” Albernaz said. “His at-bat quality … he gets on base a ton, with an OPS over .800. The power is going to come, but he’s been giving us the best at-bats night in and night out and really setting the table for us.”
Scheduled to take the ball for the Orioles is Shane Baz (1-5, 5.26). The 26-year-old right-hander has been saddled with the loss in three straight outings.
In a 3-2 road setback against the Washington Nationals on Friday, Baz gave up six hits, three runs and three walks while fanning four over a season-high seven innings. He threw a career-high 108 pitches.
The difference in the loss to the Nationals was a two-run homer Baz allowed in the sixth inning. As he prepares to face his former team — the Rays traded him to Baltimore last December in exchange for four prospects and a draft pick — Baz will look to continue to pound the strike zone.
While he has allowed six home runs this season, Baz said the work he has done between starts has him feeling as if he is “moving in the right direction, for sure.”
“I’m trying to throw quality strikes that can lead to an out,” he added. “I’m not trying to be too cute and dance around the zone. I’m trying to make them swing.”
–Field Level Media
