Rays at Red Sox
The Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox are locked in a duel for second place in the American League East and, more importantly, one of the two wild cards. Reigning World Series champion Boston took two of three in Tampa Bay last week and sits one-half game behind the Rays entering the opener of a three-game set on Tuesday night at Fenway Park.
The Red Sox are in the midst of playing 14 in a row against first-place New York and Tampa Bay, going 5-2 in the first half after erupting for 44 runs to take three of four from the Yankees. Andrew Benintendi was 10-for-18 with two homers and six RBIs against New York while adding a pair of multiple-hit games against the Rays last week and red-hot Rafael Devers takes a nine-game hitting streak into the series. Tampa Bay won two of three from Toronto over the weekend, rallying from a seven-run deficit in a 10-9 win Sunday just 24 hours after coughing up a seven-run lead to lose by an identical score. Travis d'Arnaud has been an RBI machine with 14 in seven games and Willy Adames homered on consecutive days for the Rays, who are scrambling on the mound with the loss of reigning Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell due to elbow surgery.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FSS (Tampa Bay), NESN (Boston)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Charlie Morton (12-3, 2.60 ERA) vs. Red Sox LH David Price (7-4, 3.66)
Morton will look to beat the Red Sox for the second time in a week and follow up an overpowering performance on Wednesday, when he struck out 11 and permitted two runs and five hits over seven innings in a 3-2 victory. It marked the fifth time in the last seven turns that the AL leader in ERA had surrendered two runs or fewer and the fifth outing of at least seven innings in his last 11 starts. Mookie Betts is 6-for-15 and Xander Bogaerts 7-for-20 against Morton.
Price is winless in three starts since the All-Star break, losing a narrow decision to Morton and the Rays last week after allowing three runs on four hits over six innings. It was the fourth start of the year against his former team for the 33-year-old, who struck out 10 and gave up one run and five hits over six innings to beat Tampa Bay at Fenway Park on June 8. Price, who is 3-1 with a 2.89 ERA in seven home starts, has held the Rays to a .188 batting average.
WALK-OFFS
1. Tampa Bay acquired 2B Eric Sogard from Toronto on Sunday.
2. Devers is only 10-for-44 against the Rays this year but has 32 RBIs in the month of July.
3. Rays OF Tommy Pham has hit safely in six straight games.