The Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Indians haven't put on much of an offensive display this weekend at Progressive Field.
Runs figure to be hard to come by again Sunday when two red-hot pitchers square off in the season finale for both teams.
A lack of offense has been an issue all year for the Rays (77-84) and will be the biggest reason for their first losing season since 2007. They will finish last in the AL in runs (610) and have hit more homers (116) than only Texas and Kansas City.
Tampa Bay had enough offense to end a three-game losing streak Saturday as Alex Colome and three relievers combined on a five-hitter in a 2-0 victory. James Loney and Wil Myers each drove in a run for the Rays, who were 1-0 losers Friday and have scored six runs in their last four games.
Playing almost half the season without Myers didn't help, but Evan Longoria has 22 homers after hitting 32 last season, while Matt Joyce has nine after he had 18 in 2013.
Tampa Bay has seen decreases from last season in runs, batting average, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, stolen bases and doubles.
The pitching staff, meanwhile, will finish with a better ERA than 2013 despite the absence of 17-game winner Matt Moore. With Moore sidelined almost the entire season due to elbow surgery and David Price now in Detroit, Alex Cobb has become the No. 1 starter.
Cobb (10-8, 2.75 ERA) has been outstanding since missing more than a month with a strained oblique. He's 6-2 with a 1.49 ERA in 13 starts since the All-Star break, striking out 76 in 84 1-3 innings during that stretch.
The right-hander ended a five-start winless streak Tuesday at Boston, overcoming early control issues with his fastball to allow one run and five hits over seven innings.
"The one thing I've started to learn as I've gotten more experience is I can go out and battle when I don't have my best stuff," Cobb said.
He's 3-1 with a 1.93 ERA in four career starts against the Indians, including 6 2-3 innings in a 4-0 victory in last-season's wild-card game.
Although Cleveland (84-77) fell short in its bid to reach back-to-back postseasons, it can take solace in finishing above .500 in consecutive years for the first time since an eight-year run from 1994-01.
The Indians have scored one or no runs four times in their last five games and are 8 for 57 in this series.
Michael Brantley had one of Cleveland's five hits Saturday, becoming the first Indian with 200 in a season since Kenny Lofton in 1996.
"It took forever for it to get back up the middle," Brantley said. "I wasn't sure if it was going to get there. It was like it was going in slow motion."
Brantley is the first player in club history to record 200 hits, 20 homers, 20 stolen bases and 40 doubles in the same season.
T.J. House (4-3, 3.43) looks to finish his rookie season on a high note.
The left-hander has been surging toward the finish line, posting a 1.38 ERA over his last four starts while walking one and striking out 25. He's 4-2 with a 2.89 ERA in his last 13 outings overall.
