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By SportsDirect Inc.
Steven Souza Jr. showed his potential at times, but struggled with injuries and making consistent contact in his first season with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2015. The 26-year-old outfielder turned the page with three homers in four outings to start 2016 and looks to continue his progress when the Rays visit the unbeaten Baltimore Orioles on Friday to start a three-game series.
Souza, who batted .225 with 16 homers and 144 strikeouts in 110 games last year, homered twice Wednesday in a 5-3 victory and went 6-for-15 in the series as the Rays earned a split of a four-game set against Toronto. "I'm just staying within myself," Souza told reporters, "letting the ball take its course." The Orioles will try to cool off Souza after sweeping three games from the Minnesota Twins to open the campaign. Manny Machado and rookie outfielder Joey Rickard have hit safely in every game and each belted a homer in the 4-2 victory over the Twins on Thursday.
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Chris Archer (0-1, 3.60 ERA) vs. Orioles RH Chris Tillman (0-0, 0.00)
Archer was forced to throw 34 pitches in the first inning of the season opener Sunday and battled back to limit Toronto to two earned runs over five innings while striking out 12. The 27-year-old, who made his first All-Star team a year ago, was 9-5 with a 3.35 ERA on the road in 2015. Machado is 8-for-19 and Chris Davis 4-for-13 with a homer versus Archer, who was 1-2 with a 3.04 ERA against Baltimore in four starts last year.
Tillman was moved up to the opener of the series after his first start on Monday was reduced to two innings by a weather delay. The 27-year-old California native struck out five and did not surrender a hit against Minnesota while throwing 22 pitches after his ERA dipped to 4.99 last year – way up from his 3.34 mark in 2014. Evan Longoria is 16-for-49 with six homers against Tillman, who is 5-9 with a 4.30 ERA in 20 career outings versus the Rays.
WALK-OFFS
1. Baltimore All-Star CF Adam Jones missed Thursday's game with soreness in the rib area and is considered day-to-day.
2. Tampa Bay's bullpen staff has allowed just two earned runs in 13 2/3 innings with two wins and 13 strikeouts in the first four games.
3. Davis has belted 22 homers and knocked in 57 runs in 79 career games against the Rays.
PREDICTION: Rays 5, Orioles 2
