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Red-hot Rays look to extend winning streak to four

Aug 30, 2008 - 10:16 AM Baltimore (63-71) at Tampa Bay (82-51), 3:55 pm EDT

ST. PETERSBURG, Florida (Ticker) -- It took over a decade, but the Tampa Bay Rays will finish above the .500 mark. With the way they've been playing though, that isn't the only attainable goal in mind.

Winners of three straight, the Rays continue their surge into season's stretch run as they take on the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday.

With Friday's victory, the Rays not only clinched winning more than half of their games this season, but also stayed 4 1/2 games ahead of the Boston Red Sox (78-56) in the American League East.

Tampa Bay had never won more than 70 games in its first 10 seasons, nine ending in a last-place finish in the East. However, this season it has been in contention throughout and has sat atop of the division since July 18.

Andy Sonnanstine (13-6, 4.42 ERA) will take the mound for the Rays with hopes of building on a stretch that has seen him go 3-0 with a 3.48 ERA in five starts this month.

The righthander was excellent at Baltimore on April 30, when he yielded one run and six hits in eight innings in the Rays' 8-1 triumph. He is 2-2 with a 5.70 ERA in four career starts against the Orioles.

He may get his catcher back since Dioner Navarro, who has been hampered with an injured hamstring, could start Saturday after being out of the lineup three consecutive games.

Baltimore will counter with lefthander Chris Waters (2-1, 4.71), who is starting in place of righthander Daniel Cabrera as he begins serving his six-game suspension for throwing at New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez.

The 28-year-old Waters suffered his first major league loss on Monday against the Chicago White Sox, surrendering four runs - three earned - and five hits in seven innings.

Melvin Mora left in the third inning on Friday with a strained left hamstring and isn't expected to play in the final two games of the set. He is hitting .393 with 12 homers and 49 RBIs since the All-Star break.