Giants at Rays Preview

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (Interstat) — The Tampa Bay Rays host the San Francisco Giants on Sunday afternoon at George Steinbrenner Field, with the first-place Rays seeking a series sweep after winning the first two games by a combined 8-1 margin.

First pitch is scheduled for 1:40 p.m. EDT under a forecast of 82 degrees and rain.

The Rays (20-12) have won seven of their last 10 games and enter on a three-game win streak. The Giants (13-20) have lost four straight and seven of eight.

Tampa Bay has not announced a starting pitcher. San Francisco is expected to start left-hander Steven Matz (4-1, 3.12 ERA) or right-hander Tyler Mahle (1-4, 5.87 ERA). The Giants have not confirmed which pitcher will start.

The Rays took Friday’s series opener 3-0 and won Saturday 5-1.

Players to watch

Giants reliever Ryan Borucki has been effective in recent appearances. Over his last five outings dating to April 18, Borucki has allowed no earned runs in 3⅔ innings. He pitched 1⅓ scoreless innings Saturday against Tampa Bay.

Rays reliever Griffin Jax has been dominant. Over his last four appearances, Jax has allowed no earned runs in 6⅔ innings. He threw 2⅔ scoreless innings Saturday against San Francisco.

Looking ahead

The Interstat game simulator projects a 7-4 Tampa Bay victory. The ELO system gives the Rays a 54.9% win probability. San Francisco is a 1.5-run favorite, with the over/under set at 8.5 runs.

Following this game, the Giants return home Monday for a three-game series against San Diego. The Rays host Toronto for a three-game series starting Monday.