Minnesota @ Tampa Bay preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 4, 2010 ) Minnesota 2, Tampa Bay 1

Jeff Niemann became the fourth Tampa Bay pitcher to win 10 games this season in Tuesday's win over the Minnesota Twins.

Wade Davis (9-9) will try to become the fifth Rays pitcher to achieve that feat when he takes the mound Thursday afternoon for Tampa Bay in the finale of a four-game series against the visiting Twins.

Minnesota was staring down the barrel of a possible sweep after losing the first two games of the series and having to face Rays ace David Price, the American League's winningest pitcher, on Wednesday night.

The resilient Twins responded with eight shutout innings of three-hit ball by Scott Baker and survived a blown save in the ninth by newly acquired closer Matt Capps before prevailing 2-1 in 13 innings.

Delmon Young's RBI single brought home the winning run as Minnesota remained 1 1/2 games back of the Chicago White Sox for the American League Central lead.

The loss, just the second in 12 games for Tampa Bay, dropped the Rays back into a first-place tie with the New York Yankees atop the AL East.

Davis looks to win his fifth consecutive start and get the Rays back on the winning track against the team that handed him his last defeat.

The 24-year-old right-hander was roughed up for four runs on eight hits in just 4 1/3 innings of an 8-6 loss at Minnesota on July 3 – a series in which Tampa Bay took three of four.

Reigning AL batting champion Joe Mauer, who has been relegated to DH duties while dealing with a sore shoulder, was 3-for-3 against Davis in that game.

Davis has rebounded with a vengeance, allowing just seven total runs during his recent four-game winning streak.

In his last outing, he limited the Yankees to just two runs – both coming on a first-inning homer – and four hits while striking out seven in seven innings.

Opposing Davis will be Kevin Slowey (10-5), who will be looking to win his third straight start.

The 26-year-old right-hander is coming off one of his best outings of the season, blanking the Seattle Mariners on three hits over eight innings. He struck out five and did not walk a batter.

Slowey has faced Tampa Bay just once in his career, allowing five runs in 4 1/3 innings in September 2008.

The Rays, who have collected just 11 hits in the last two games, could have first baseman Carlos Pena available for pinch-hitting duties Thursday. He has missed the last four games with a sore foot.