Eflin returns to face Rays, Orioles' lineup missing Rutschman, Mountcastle and Mayo

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Zach Eflin returns to Tropicana Field tonight as an opposing pitcher, making his first start at Tampa Bay since the Rays traded him to the Orioles.

Eflin has two quality starts in his two outings with the Orioles, allowing a combined five runs and 15 hits in 12 1/3 innings. He’s walked only one batter.

Eflin has registered a 3.08 ERA in 27 games (26 starts) at Tropicana Field. He’s made two career appearances (one start) against the Rays and allowed four runs in 7 1/3 innings.

Adley Rutschman, Ryan Mountcastle and Coby Mayo are out of tonight’s lineup.

Jackson Holliday is batting sixth. Ramón Urías is playing third base.

Colton Cowser is in left field, Cedric Mullins is in center and Anthony Santander is in right. Eloy Jiménez is the designated hitter.

Santander and Aaron Judge are the only players in the majors with 20 or more home runs on the road this season. He’s only the third Orioles switch-hitter on the all-time list, joining Ken Singleton (22 in 1979) and Eddie Murray (22 in 1980), per STATS.

Also, Santander is the third switch-hitter in major league history with 25-plus home runs over a 60-game span within a single season, joining Hall of Famers Mickey Mantle and Chipper Jones.

Cowser registered his third game with four or more RBIs last night, tying him with Ceddanne Rafaela for most by a rookie this season. It also was his third game with three or more RBIs since the All-Star break, the most of any rookie in the majors, per STATS.

The Orioles have scored 18 runs in the first inning since the All-Star break, second-most in the majors according to STATS. Their plus-11 run differential is tied for first. They’ve scored first in 14 of the 20 games, tied with the Reds for the most.

The Orioles and Yankees remain tied for first place in the division. The Rays, sellers at the deadline, are 58-56 and in fourth place, nine games out of first and five back in the wild card race.

Tampa Bay right-hander Zack Littell has made 22 starts and posted a 4.06 ERA and 1.329 WHIP in 119 2/3 innings. His 136 hits allowed are tied with the Yankees’ Nestor Cortes for most in the American League.

Littell has allowed one earned run or fewer in four of his last six starts. He’s allowed one over his last two starts totaling 12 2/3 innings.

The Orioles faced Littell in back-to-back starts in June and he surrendered three runs in six innings in both games. Gunnar Henderson hit a leadoff homer on June 2 in Baltimore and Santander had a solo shot in the fourth inning on the 9^th in St. Petersburg.

Littell owns a 3.66 ERA in five career games (three starts) versus the Orioles. Henderson is 5-for-10 with a double and two home runs. Rutschman is 4-for-11 with a double. James McCann is 3-for-7 with a double. Jiménez is 4-for-5 with a home run.

In his last five games against the Rays, Henderson has 10 hits, three homers and 10 runs scored.

The Orioles are 6-1 against Tampa Bay this season, including a four-game sweep at Tropicana Field, with each margin three or more runs. They’ve won their last six games in St. Petersburg and hit multiple homers in the last five - the longest road winning streak with multi-homer games against a single opponent in team history, per STATS.

The Rays’ pitchers have posted a 1.98 ERA and 0.94 WHIP at home since July 1, with an opponents’ batting average of .196 and a .298 slugging percentage. But the offense has scored two runs or fewer in seven of the 11 games.

For the Orioles

Colton Cowser LF
Anthony Santander RF
Gunnar Henderson SS
Ryan O’Hearn 1B
Eloy Jiménez DH
Jackson Holliday 2B
Cedric Mullins CF
Ramón Urías 3B
James McCann C

Zach Eflin RHP

ESPN has selected the Aug. 25 game between the Orioles and Astros at Camden Yards for "Sunday Night Baseball." The time is changed from 1:35 p.m. to 7:10