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Rays-Orioles Preview

Sep 5, 2010 - 3:32 AM By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN STATS Senior Writer

Tampa Bay (83-51) at Baltimore (49-86), 1:35 p.m. EDT

Wade Davis is enjoying the longest winning streak by a rookie starter in Tampa Bay Rays history, and he has been dominant in three starts against the Baltimore Orioles.

He'll look to extend his run to seven games and move to 4-0 against the Orioles on Sunday at Camden Yards.

Davis (11-9, 4.29 ERA) has gone 6-0 with a 3.23 ERA in his last seven outings, surpassing Jeff Niemann (2008) and Victor Zambrano (2001) for the longest win streak by a Tampa Bay first-year starter. His latest victory came Monday when he gave up two runs over 7 2-3 innings of a 6-2 win over Toronto.

The right-hander yielded one run over eight innings to earn an 8-1 victory at Baltimore on July 19, giving him a 0.75 ERA in his three victories over the Orioles (50-86).

Baltimore right fielder Nick Markakis, 0 for 10 in his career against Davis, ended a 27-game home run drought in an 8-4 victory Saturday.

Markakis was one of seven Orioles with two hits as manager Buck Showalter earned his 900th victory.

"It means I've had some good players and someone's given me an opportunity to do this a long time," Showalter said. "That's about the extent of it."

Tampa Bay (83-52) fell 2 1/2 games back in the AL East behind New York, which has won eight straight. The Rays, though, pushed their wild-card lead to 7 1/2 games over Boston.

"I've been through this before in Anaheim, where the team ahead kept winning but so did we," manager Joe Maddon said. "Now we lost tonight but nevertheless it's kind of like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. We're not at the end of the movie yet. We have not arrived at the last scene. We're still at, 'Who are those guys?'"

Tampa Bay's Carl Crawford is 5 for 9 in this three-game series and has batted .396 with nine RBIs in 13 games against Baltimore this year. None of Crawford's 41 stolen bases - tied for third in the majors - have come against the Orioles.

Baltimore center fielder Adam Jones missed his third straight game with upper back soreness, and likely won't be on the field Sunday.

"I don't think him playing is imminent," Showalter said.

Chris Tillman (1-4, 7.92) will get his first start for Baltimore since a disastrous 76-pitch outing in the July 19 game. He gave up a career-worst eight runs over 2 2-3 innings.

The right-hander was sent to Triple-A Norfolk the next day, and will be called up for this start - his first in front of Showalter.

"It feels good to be back," Tillman told the Orioles' official website. "I don't think (this season) was a step back at all."

Tillman went 11-7 with a 3.34 ERA in 21 starts at Norfolk this year.