BASEBALL: Rays' Steven Matz looks for continued success against Guardians

The Cleveland Guardians spent the weekend in Toronto on a working trip, where they faced the Blue Jays in a three-game series while also taking time to attend Game 3 of the NBA playoff matchup between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors.

They now return home to begin a three-game set on Monday against the surging Tampa Bay Rays.

On the mound, Cleveland will start left-hander Parker Messick (3-0, 1.76 ERA), while Tampa Bay counters with lefty Steven Matz (3-1, 4.81 ERA). Both teams have combined to win nine of their last 10 starts, setting up an intriguing pitching matchup.

The Guardians’ trip began on a positive note. José Ramírez and Steven Kwan were seen courtside supporting the Cavaliers, while catcher Austin Hedges and other players appeared in social media clips from the stands.

On the field, Cleveland opened the series with a win over Toronto, highlighted by Angel Martínez’s first career multi-home run game. However, the Guardians dropped the final two games. Starting pitchers Joey Cantillo and Slade Cecconi both struggled in the sixth inning in back-to-back losses.

“That’s two nights in a row we’ve gotten burned in that pocket in the sixth inning,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. “It’s a tricky situation because you don’t want to go to your bullpen too early, so you have to show some trust in your starters.”

Cleveland has won all five of Messick’s starts this season, with each outing coming after a team loss. The rookie’s most recent start resulted in a no-decision against the Houston Astros, where he allowed three runs over five innings.

Messick also saw success against Tampa Bay last season, going 2-0 with a 0.69 ERA across two late-season appearances. In 13 innings, he struck out 10 batters without issuing a walk, relying heavily on his changeup to neutralize Rays hitters.

“It’s been my pitch since I was a freshman in high school, so hopefully I can keep it rolling,” Messick said. “Every game is a new game, so I just trust myself to attack in a new way.”

The Rays enter the series on a four-game winning streak after sweeping the Minnesota Twins, capped by a 4-2 victory on Sunday. Yandy Díaz delivered a two-run home run, while Jonathan Aranda added a two-run single earlier in the game.

Steven Matz, meanwhile, continues to build up his workload after spending the past two seasons working out of the bullpen for the St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Red Sox. He took his first loss of the season on Tuesday against the Cincinnati Reds, allowing four runs over three innings.

“It’s just not who I am as a pitcher,” Matz said. “I’m a strike thrower, and I just wasn’t able to do that.”

The 34-year-old has historically performed well against Cleveland, posting a 3-0 record with a 1.71 ERA in eight career appearances. All of those wins came against the franchise when it was still known as the Indians.

Tampa Bay’s bullpen is expected to play a key role in the series, as Matz has completed six innings only once this season. Setup reliever Cole Sulser and closer Bryan Baker each appeared in multiple games over the weekend, while the team recently added right-hander Casey Legumina after a roster move involving the Seattle Mariners.

“With where the bullpen is right now, we need to be opportunistic,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “And Casey is a guy we like. Hopefully, this helps him and he can help us.”

In a notable split this season, Tampa Bay has been dominant against American League opponents, going 11-1, while struggling against National League Central teams with a 5-10 record. -Field Level Media/Reuters