The Baltimore Orioles look to avoid a sweep on Monday by the Tampa Bay Rays. The game starts at 3:10 p.m. ET. Watch the live stream or listen to audio HERE.
Tampa Bay has strengthened its case for the AL wild-card spot with its three-straight wins over Baltimore. The Orioles, meanwhile, have dropped their last four games and look unlikely to win the AL wild-card race, the Associated Press reports. With seven games left in the regular season, Baltimore (81-74) is 4.5 games behind for the second wild-card spot.
"We'll have to get little cooperation mathematically, but you'd be surprised how quickly the outlook on things change in one day's time," Orioles manager Buck Showalter told AP reporters.
Orioles outfielder Adam Jones refused to pin the team's three losses on the Rays' pitchers.
"We're facing good pitching, but that's no excuse," Jones told reporters. "We're just not getting it done. Sometimes that's just how the game unfolds. On our side it's at the wrong time for it to unfold, but there's no complaints."
Rays manager Joe Maddon, however, believes the performances from pitchers David Price, Alex Cobb and Enny Romero are why Tampa Bay (86-69) is one game away from sweeping Baltimore.
"The pitching has been outstanding," Maddon told reporters. "We've gotten enough hitting. The defense has been great."
Chris Archer will look to continue the strong pitching for Tampa Bay on Monday. Archer (9-7, 3.02 ERA) has only one career start against the Orioles, where he gave up just one run and two hits in seven innings in the 2-1 win on June 7.
Wei-Yin Chen (7-7, 4.03) is set to take the mound for Baltimore. The left-hander is 1-0 with a 2.84 ERA in two starts this year against the Rays, including a win against them on Aug. 21.
