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Rays continue series with Orioles

Sat 30th, August 2008

(Sports Network) - Now that they've finally established themselves as a winning team for the first time in franchise history, the Tampa Bay Rays can go about finishing the job by nailing down an American League playoff berth. The club continues a three-game series with the Baltimore Orioles this afternoon at Tropicana Field.

The Rays, long the doormat of the AL's East Division, guaranteed they will finish with a record above .500 for the first time in franchise history with win No. 82 on Friday night. Their previous high watermark had been 70 wins.

Additionally, they enter today's games with a surprising 4 1/2-game lead over the defending world champion Boston Red Sox in the division race, and, should that race tighten, they're still 6 1/2 games clear of the Chicago White Sox in what would be a race for the league's lone wild card berth.

Andy Sonnanstine gets the call for the Rays on Saturday, and he is 3-0 over his last five starts. Sonnanstine did not factor in the outcome of a 6-5 loss at Chicago the last time out on August 24. He allowed four runs and nine hits in 6 1/3 innings to remain 13-6, while raising his ERA to 4.42.

Sonnanstine, who is 7-3 in 13 home starts, will face Baltimore for the second time this season. The righty hurled eight solid innings of one-run ball in an 8-1 victory over the Orioles on April 30 at Camden Yards.

The Kent State product is 2-2 with a 5.70 ERA in four career starts against the O's.

For the Orioles, rookie left-hander Chris Waters makes the sixth start of his brief big-league career.

The Lakeland, Florida native debuted earlier this month against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and picked up a 3-0 win after allowing just one hit in eight scoreless innings.

His second win came three starts later against Boston, before he was beaten for the first time on August 25 by the White Sox, dropping a 4-3 verdict after allowing five hits and three earned runs in seven innings.

Overall, in 28 2/3 innings, he's given up 29 hits and 15 earned runs.

He has never faced the Rays.

On Friday, Ben Zobrist smacked a grand slam and Cliff Floyd drove in five runs as the Rays crushed the Orioles, 14-3.

Floyd was 3-for-4 with two doubles and a walk, while Gabe Gross and Shawn Riggans hit solo home runs for the victors. Gross and B.J. Upton each added three hits.

The offensive barrage allowed Scott Kazmir (10-6) to get the win, as the lefty allowed just three hits and three walks with six strikeouts in 5 1/3 scoreless frames.

Jeremy Guthrie (10-11) was roughed up for seven runs on seven hits and six walks in three-plus innings for the Orioles, who have lost six of seven. Aubrey Huff was 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI in defeat.

Tampa has won nine of its 12 meetings with the O's this season, including six of the seven matchups in St. Petersburg.