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O's, Rays open series at the Trop

May 13, 2011 - 2:50 PM (Sports Network) - Orioles starter Jeremy Guthrie hasn't won since dominating the Rays over a month ago. However, his most recent outing against them may have been his worst of the season.

The veteran hurler will try to avenge that defeat this evening when Baltimore begins a three-game set against Tampa Bay at Tropicana Field.

Guthrie hurled eight shutout innings of three-hit ball in St. Petersburg back on April 1, picking up a 4-1 win after striking out six. However, he has lost five straight decisions since, including an 8-2 home setback to the Rays on Saturday in which he was drilled for a season-high seven runs while matching a season low with just five innings pitched. Guthrie is now 1-5 with a 4.09 earned run average in seven starts this season.

The 32-year-old righty struggled keeping the ball in the park, yielding three- run homers to Evan Longoria and B.J. Upton while falling to 6-8 with a 4.23 ERA in his career versus the Rays.

That loss by Guthrie was part of a three-game sweep at the hands of the Rays, who avenged an earlier set at home back on April 1-3 in which the Orioles took all three games.

One thing working in Guthrie's favor is that he won't have to face Upton, who serves the second of a two-game suspension tonight for his actions toward home plate umpire Chad Fairchild on May 5 versus Toronto.

Even without Upton, the Rays rolled to their seventh victory in nine games with a 7-4 triumph over the Indians on Thursday. Reid Brignac had a two-run double and both Longoria and Sam Fuld also drove in two runs to back starter James Shields.

Shields gave up just two runs and struck out seven over seven innings and also terrorized Cleveland's baserunners with two pickoffs.

"This is something Shields has done for a long time," Rays manager Joe Maddon said about the pitcher's two pickoffs. "He looks for those moments. He knows he can get an out that way."

The win moved the Rays a game up on the Yankees for first place in the American League East.

Jeremy Hellickson takes aim at his third straight winning start for the Rays after besting Guthrie and the Orioles on Saturday. The right-hander hurled five scoreless frames by working around three hits and five walks.

"I wish I would've threw more strikes," Hellickson said. "But I got the win, thanks to these guys."

The 24-year-old improved to 3-2 with a 3.72 ERA in six starts this season and 2-0 with a 2.13 ERA in three games (two starts) lifetime against the Orioles.

He'll hope for a better offensive showing than what Baltimore put forth on Thursday versus Seattle. After the Mariners scored the game's first run in the top of the 12th inning, J.J. Hardy came through with a two-run single in the bottom of the extra frame for a 2-1 victory and three-game sweep of Seattle.

Hardy is now 7-for-13 with a homer and three RBI in three games since returning from a strained left oblique muscle.

The three straight wins comes on the heels of six losses in seven games, which of course includes the sweep at the hands of the Rays.

Starter Zach Britton matched Seattle's Jason Vargas as each hurler threw nine scoreless innings. Britton yielded just three hits in the no-decision.

"My job was just to keep us in the game as long as possible. You gotta tip your hat to Vargas, he pitched really well," said Britton. "When's that going to happen again?"