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ST. PETERSBURG [url=http://www.pantherscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-donte-jackson-jersey]Donte Jackson Jersey[/url] , Fla. — The Tampa Bay Rays continue to win games they perhaps shouldn’t, and they’ll have an opportunity for more of that Saturday against Houston’s Justin Verlander.

The Rays (40-41) hit the midway point of their 2018 season with a 3-2 win over Houston, giving them six wins in their last seven games. Their pitching has led the way — three times in the last four games, they have held their opponent to three hits or less, this after doing so only three times in the first 77 games of this season.

“If we are going to win a lot of game and we are going to string a bunch together, we have to have good pitching,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “The timely hitting is great, but we have to stay in the ballgame. For us to have allowed three runs in 18 innings against arguably the best team in baseball, we should find a way to win one.”

Houston will send Verlander, who has been dominant (9-3, 1.82 ERA) but has gotten surprisingly little run support from a potent Astros lineup.

Houston is just 11-7 in games he starts, and the Astros have scored a total of two runs in five of those losses.

So Saturday could look like Thursday’s 1-0 Astros win, or could look like Friday’s 3-2 loss, which saw two errors factor in Tampa Bay’s scoring.

Verlander faced the Rays just 11 days ago in Houston, again pitching well, allowing one run on six hits in 6 2/3 innings, but ultimately taking a no-decision in a 2-1 loss. He has 136 strikeouts in 113 innings this season and a ridiculous 0.81 WHIP.

Against the Rays for his career, Verlander is 8-3 with a 3.18 ERA, but since 2010 [url=http://www.pantherscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-dj-moore-jersey]DJ Moore Jersey[/url] , he’s just 4-3, despite a 1.72 ERA in his last five starts against the Rays. At Tropicana Field, he’s 5-2 all-time with a 2.53 ERA, including a 1.20 ERA in his last two outings.

The Rays counter with reliever-turned-starter Ryne Stanek, who has thrived in the “opener” role that Tampa Bay has essentially created in the past six weeks. He’s starting for the second time in three days against the Astros having thrown 1 2/3 innings of scoreless, hitless baseball Thursday night. For the month of June, he’s pitched in 11 games and 14 2/3 innings without allowing a run.

He’s held opponents to just four hits, lowering his season ERA to 1.85, just barely above Verlander’s.

The Astros know they have to be careful with the white ceiling of Tropicana Field — the Rays’ three-run fourth inning got a spark Friday when center fielder Jake Marisnick couldn’t hold onto a pop at the warning track, allowing a run to score.

“When you play here, you try to not take your eye off the ball,” Marisnick said. “With the ceiling, I kind of glanced quickly at the ball, then looked back up and lost track. I wasn’t able to come up with it. That’s a play I need to make 10 out of 10 times.”

A look ahead to top enterprise and feature stories planned globally by AP Sports. New digests will go out each Thursday and Monday and will be repeated on other weekdays. Please note that story plans may change depending on news and other issues.

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As with all our operations, we welcome and want your feedback. If you have thoughts or questions about the Sports Showcase Digest or the material listed, please reach out to Oskar Garcia, assistant sports editor for the U.S. east region [url=http://www.billsfootballauthentics.com/harrison-phillips-jersey-authentic]Youth Harrison Phillips Jersey[/url] , at 215-446-6632 or at ogarcia(at)ap.org.

All times are Eastern.

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NOTE: The stories slugged Black History-Game Changers are part of AP’s coverage during Black History Month of how African-American athletes have used their platforms during the last 100 years to influence social and political change. Please see the Black History Month advisory for more details on the series.

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WEDNESDAY, Jan. 31

WRE-WAHINE WRESTLERS

FREMONT, Neb. – Welina Tong tried wrestling for the first time when she was a junior in high school and fell in love with the sport so deeply that she was willing to move 4,000 miles from her home in Hawaii to the snowy plains of Nebraska to continue competing. She’s not alone. She and three other women from the women’s wrestling hotbed of Hawaii are on the team at Midland University. The 1,400-student school is among three dozen small colleges that have started women’s wresting programs. With more than 14,000 girls participating in high school wrestling, the sport is growing rapidly and on track to gain greater recognition by the NAIA and NCAA. By Eric Olson. UPCOMING: 900 words, photos, video by 3 a.m. Wednesday.

BKC–WASHINGTON-INSIDE LOOK

SEATTLE – One of the most surprising stories in college basketball is what Mike Hopkins is doing in his first season at Washington. Hopkins provided The Associated Press an inside look at his first-year program to try and explain how the Huskies are in the conversation for an NCAA bid entering February, an idea that seemed unfathomable back in October. By Tim Booth. UPCOMING: 1,000 words, photos and video by 12 p.m. Wednesday.

THURSDAY, Feb. 1

BLACK HISTORY-GAME CHANGERS

Some of the top NFL players say they have been racially profiled, or had a family member or friend who has been. Yes, Colin Kaepernick is out of work and mostly out of the spotlight after starting the latest chapter of black athletes using their sports platforms to make America uncomfortable by raising awareness on racially charged issues in an effort to bring about social and political change. But the issues that spurred him to kneel silently are still very much a part of people of color’s daily lives. And like athletes that have taken a stand before them, many believe the struggle against injustice must continue. By Errin Haines Whack and Fred Goodall. UPCOMING: 900 words, photos and video.

FRIDAY, Feb. 2

BLACK HISTORY-GAME CHANGERS-KAEPERNICK

Colin Kaepernick knew he was sending a message when he first refused to stand during the national anthem, before a preseason game in 2016. He probably never would’ve guessed the price he would pay. Because of the efforts of the now-unemployed quarterback [url=http://www.billsfootballauthentics.com/taron-johnson-jersey-authentic]Youth Taron Johnson Jersey[/url] , the days of excluding politics and social issues from sports appear to be over, and those who have followed Kaepernick’s lead are feeling more and more empowered to use their platform for something other than mere fun and games. By National Writer Eddie Pells. UPCOMING: 950 words, photos and video by 3 a.m. Friday.

BLACK HISTORY-GAME CHANGERS-BLACK ATHLETES

Sports and race have been intertwined in America’s journey to become a more perfect union, and black athletes have often found themselves at the center of the struggle for racial progress. From Jack Johnson’s defiance outside of the boxing ring, thumbing his nose at segregation and challenging notions of black inferiority to former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s decision to kneel silently during the national anthem ahead of NFL games that many point to as the reason he is now out of the league, black athletes have protested for generations in ways large and small in an effort to highlight injustice, expose hypocrisy and move the country forward. Often met with hate by fans uninterested in mixing sports and social issues, many have taken stances that risk their careers, choosing race over the games they love. Where does that leave us? By AP National Writer Errin Haines Whack. UPCOMING: 1,200 words, photos and video by 1 p.m. Friday.

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Again, if you have questions about the Sports Showcase Digest or the material listed, please reach out to Oskar Garcia, assistant sports editor for the U.S. east region, at 215-446-6632 or at ogarcia(at)ap.org.

Thanks,

AP Sports
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