Tampa Bay at Baltimore 7:00 ET
Rays over Orioles- Tampa Bay and the Baltimore Orioles will meet Friday night in the second game of a four-game series that will figure heavily in who wins the American League East. Tampa Bay (91-57) prevailed 4-3 on Thursday night to pull within one game of first-place Baltimore (91-55). The Rays are as close as they have been to the Orioles since they were one game back on July 22. Tampa Bay has won six of its past seven games. The Orioles have dropped three games in a row for the first time since they snapped a four-game skid on July 2. Right-hander Zach Eflin (14-8, 3.53 ERA), who will start for the Rays on Friday night, blanked the Orioles on two hits for seven innings in a July 21 home victory. He has gone 3-3 with a 3.91 ERA in nine starts since then. Right-hander Jack Flaherty (8-8, 4.98 ERA) heads to the mound for the Orioles. He hasn't registered a victory since winning his Orioles debut on Aug. 3 after arriving in a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals. Only once in his past four outings has he completed five innings. Take TAMPA BAY!