Boston @ Tampa Bay preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 28, 2016 ) Boston 8, Tampa Bay 2

The Boston Red Sox have proven they can win whenever they get a solid performance out of the starting rotation and proved as much with an 8-2 win on Tuesday. The Red Sox will look for the same effort from struggling ace David Price when they visit the Tampa Bay Rays in the rubber match of a three-game series on Wednesday afternoon.

Boston starter Eduardo Rodriguez could not make it through three innings in a 13-7 setback in Monday’s opener but Rick Porcello worked into and out of trouble through six innings on Tuesday and managed to limit the damage enough to lead his team to a win. The Red Sox can swing the bats as well as any team and could be getting another hot streak from third baseman Travis Shaw, who homered among three hits and drove in five runs on Tuesday as he tries to emerge from a lengthy slump. The Rays are losers of 12 of their last 13 games and could not come up with the big hits they needed in Tuesday’s loss. Tampa Bay began an 11-game homestand with Boston and will not get a day off until the All-Star break.

TV: 12:10 p.m. ET, NESN (Boston), FSN Sun (Tampa Bay)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Red Sox LH David Price (8-4, 4.68 ERA) vs. Rays LH Matt Moore (3-5, 5.04)

Price had a sting of eight straight quality starts come to an abrupt halt when he was ripped for six runs on 12 hits in 2 1/3 innings at Texas on Friday. The No. 1 overall draft pick of Tampa Bay in 2007 has faced his original franchise four times since first being traded away in 2014 and is 1-2 with a 6.75 ERA, including a disastrous start at Fenway Park on April 21 in which he was knocked around for eight runs in 3 2/3 frames. Price is 35-29 with a 2.89 ERA in 87 career games at Tropicana Field.

Moore is struggling to find some consistency and was knocked around for five runs and seven hits over 6 2/3 innings of a loss at Baltimore on Friday. The 27-year-old yielded a total of two runs and eight hits in 13 innings while striking out 15 in his two previous starts. Moore is facing Boston for the first time this season and is 3-4 with a 5.40 ERA in eight games – seven starts – against the Red Sox in his career.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Rays placed RHP Alex Colome (biceps) on the 15-day disabled list on Tuesday.

2. Boston DH David Ortiz drove in a run in three straight games and is second in the American League with 63 RBIs.

3. Tampa Bay designated OF Jaff Decker for assignment and is expected to activate OF Brandon Guyer off the 15-day DL prior to Wednesday’s contest.

PREDICTION: Red Sox 4, Rays 3