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Rays-Orioles Preview

Sep 14, 2009 - 4:38 AM By KATE HEDLIN STATS Writer

Tampa Bay (72-69) at Baltimore (58-83), 7:05 p.m. EDT

David Price suffered the loss to begin Tampa Bay's 11-game slide earlier this month. With the Rays' chances of returning to the postseason dwindling, he'll be the next one to try and end the skid.

With one of their prized rookies on the mound, the Rays open a four-game series Monday night at Camden Yards against the Baltimore Orioles looking to snap the longest losing streak in the major leagues this season.

Tampa Bay (72-71) lost 3-1 and 4-0 in a doubleheader against Boston on Sunday, dropping the defending AL champs 12 1/2 games behind the wild card-leading Red Sox.

"It's embarrassing," said James Shields, who took the loss in the nightcap. "Eleven straight losses. Not fun at all. Whether we're in the race or not, we've got to play better baseball."

Pushing across runs would certainly be a good start. The Rays have scored 23 runs during the losing streak, including eight in the last seven games. They're also trying to avoid losing 12 in a row for the first time since Aug. 27-Sept. 10, 2004.

Price (7-7, 4.65 ERA), who gave up four runs and six hits in 5 1-3 innings to Boston on Sept. 3, put the Rays in position to win at New York on Tuesday. He allowed two runs and three hits with six strikeouts over six innings, but reliever Dan Wheeler served up Nick Swisher's walk-off homer in a 3-2 loss.

Price is 1-4 with a 6.31 ERA on the road this season, and the left-hander will make his second start of the year against Baltimore. On Aug. 18, he gave up two runs and seven hits over five innings of a 5-4 victory.

He could be looking for some help from Carl Crawford, who is hitting .143 in his last 10 games with seven strikeouts. He was 5 for 13 with two doubles as Tampa Bay took two or three from Baltimore (58-84) last month.

The Orioles return home after taking two of three against the Yankees, losing the finale 13-3 Sunday.

Baltimore led 2-1 early, but Jeremy Guthrie gave up five runs and 12 hits in 5 2-3 innings. New York totaled 20 hits after Baltimore allowed 19 combined in the first two games of the set.

"A lot of guys right now ... don't feel real thrilled right now," catcher Chad Moeller told the Orioles' official Web site.

Brian Roberts went hitless after driving in seven in the first two games. The second baseman is hitting .350 with five homers and 12 RBIs in 10 games against the Rays this season.

Baltimore will hand the ball to David Hernandez, who is making his first start against the Rays but also is 0-3 with an 8.22 ERA in his last five starts.

The Orioles have lost all of those games since the right-hander last won on Aug. 11. Hernandez (4-7, 5.05) gave up four hits - all homers - leading to six runs in 2 2-3 innings of a 10-0 loss to Boston on Tuesday.

Hernandez has surrendered 21 homers in 82.0 innings this season. Despite its losing streak, Tampa Bay is fourth in the AL with 179 homers.