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Preview: Rays turn attention to Orioles with Jacob Faria on mound
TV: FOX Sports Sun
Time: Pregame coverage begins at 6:30 p.m.
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BALTIMORE -- For the first time in more than two months, the Baltimore Orioles are coming home after a winning road trip.
The Orioles (39-39) took two of three in both Tampa Bay and Toronto, finishing with a 2-0 victory over the Blue Jays on Thursday night. Baltimore last posted a winning road trip on its first one, back in April.
The Orioles will meet Tampa Bay (41-40) on Friday night to begin a three-game series at Camden Yards. The Rays have dropped two in a row, falling 4-0 at Pittsburgh on Thursday.
Baltimore manager Buck Showalter enjoyed seeing his team finally find road success -- especially versus American League East opponents.
The Orioles are 15-25 on the road and 24-14 at home.
"It's a long season," he said in a MASN interview after the Thursday win. "It was a big road trip for us to win in these two venues."
Ubaldo Jimenez (3-3) threw eight shutout innings Thursday, allowing only two hits in eight innings in his best 2017 start.
"I had everything working," Jimenez said on MASN. "Everything felt good."
Chris Tillman (1-5, 8.39 ERA) is the scheduled Friday starter for the Orioles, but that could change as his wife is due with their first child. If the baby comes, Tillman, who is 8-10 with a 4.23 career ERA vs. the Rays, would be replaced by Dylan Bundy, the scheduled Saturday starter.
Tillman has not won in his last nine starts after winning his first outing in May. He missed the first five weeks due to shoulder problems.
Jake Faria (3-0, 2.10 ERA) will start for Tampa Bay. The rookie right-hander won his first three major league games (all starts) before getting a no-decision in his initial appearance against Baltimore on Saturday. In that game, he allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits in six innings. Faria struck out seven with just one walk.
For Baltimore, closer Zach Britton had another good rehab assignment Thursday, pitching a strong inning for Double-A Bowie. He will go to Class A Frederick on Friday and then, if all is well, to Triple-A Norfolk on Monday, pointing toward a July 5 return to the Orioles.
Catcher Welington Castillo sprained his left knee before the game in Toronto on Thursday and was a late scratch. He will be checked out Friday in Baltimore along with right-hander Stefan Crichton (shoulder pain).
Showalter said in a MASN interview Thursday night that the team hopes Castillo can be kept off the disabled list.
The Orioles will face a Rays team that is 1 1/2 games ahead of them and has remained competitive all season, surprising some, but not anyone in the Tampa Bay locker room.
"I think everybody in here believes we have a chance," third baseman Evan Longoria told the Tampa Bay Times the Thursday game. "This is a competitive team that has a chance to play in the postseason and has a chance to go very far."
Tampa Bay activated right-hander Brad Boxberger from the 60-day disabled list and also designated pitcher Danny Farquhar for assignment Thursday. Boxberger (lat muscle, strained flexor tendon in right forearm) has yet to pitch this season.
Farquhar made 37 relief appearances and had a 2-2 record with a 4.11 ERA.
Left-hander Adam Kolarek made his major league debut for Tampa Bay in the season finale at Pittsburgh, throwing 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
Now, he will come to his hometown of Baltimore. The 28-year old pitched at Catonsville High School (15 minutes from Camden Yards) and then for Maryland in college but had been in the minors since 2010.
