Rays at Red Sox
Offense has not been the calling card for the Tampa Bay Rays this season but the bats have come alive during their current six-game road trip. After coming from behind for the second straight game, Tampa Bay will look to post its second straight series win when it resumes a three-game set against the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday night at Fenway Park.
Avisail Garcia was 0-for-11 in a three-game series versus Boston last week but he made amends by cracking a solo homer and a go-ahead two-run double in Tuesday's 6-5 victory. Red-hot Travis d'Arnaud has four homers and 15 RBIs over his last eight games to push the Rays 1 1/2 games ahead of the Red Sox for second place in the American League East. Boston dropped to 27-27 at home after squandering a pair of two-run leads and fell to 1-6 in its last seven matchups against Tampa Bay at Fenway Park. Andrew Benintendi has gone deep and collected three hits in three consecutive games, improving to 18-for-35 with four homers and 12 RBIs in his last eight contests.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FSS (Tampa Bay), NESN (Boston)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Andrew Kittredge (1-0, 3.05 ERA) vs. Red Sox RH Rick Porcello (9-7, 5.55)
Kittredge will serve as the opener after pitching in that role at Toronto on Saturday, working a season-high three innings and striking out seven while allowing two runs and five hits. Kittredge, who pitched a scoreless inning in relief versus Boston a week ago, will be followed Ryan Yarbrough, a nine-game winner who permitted one run and four hits over 5 1/3 innings against the Blue Jays on Friday. He beat the Red Sox with 7 2/3 innings of two-run ball on June 8.
Porcello improved to 4-0 in July last time out, posting his only quality start of the month by holding the New York Yankees to three runs and six hits over six innings. He is unbeaten over his last five turns mainly because Boston's offense has amassed a staggering 69 runs during that turn. Garcia is 11-for-27 and Matt Duffy 9-for-21 against Porcello, who fell to 14-11 with a 3.50 ERA against the Rays after allowing four runs over six innings on June 7 at Fenway.
WALK-OFFS
1. Rays OF Tommy Pham was scratched from the lineup Tuesday due to a sore hand.
2. Red Sox 3B Rafael Devers is 19-for-46 during a 10-game hitting streak.
3. Rays CF Kevin Kiermaier (thumb) is expected to be activated off the injured list Wednesday.