Chicago @ Tampa Bay preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 28, 2013 ) Tampa Bay 8, Chi. White Sox 3

The Tampa Bay Rays look to make up ground in the American League East with 10 home contests against teams under .500 before the All-Star break, but it won’t be easy. The Chicago White Sox, coming off winning two of three against the Baltimore Orioles, visit the Rays on Friday to start a three-game set. Chicago slugger Adam Dunn was batting .198 before going 5-for-12 with two homers and five RBIs against the Orioles, including a walk-off blast in a 3-2 victory Thursday.

The Rays have won eight of their last 11 games, but are still 6 ½ games behind the Boston Red Sox in the AL East. Leading run producer Evan Longoria is still struggling with plantar fasciitis in his right foot, relegating him to the designated spot where he went 2-for-11 in the series at Houston. The Rays and White Sox split four games at Chicago in late April.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, Comcast SportsNet Chicago, Sun Sports (Tampa Bay)

PITCHING MATCHUP: White Sox RH Dylan Axelrod (3-4, 4.57 ERA) vs. Rays RH Jeremy Hellickson (7-3, 4.90)

Axelrod is winless since May 26 and has been touched up for 18 runs over 20 2/3 innings in his last four starts. The 27-year-old allowed three runs in six innings in his first career start against the Rays on April 28 without getting a decision. Matt Joyce is 2-for-4 with a pair of homers against Axelrod, who has surrendered 15 blasts over 90 2/3 innings.

Hellickson was 5-1 in June and has yielded only three runs over 19 innings to win his last three outings against Boston, Toronto and Detroit. The right-hander was 1-2 after giving up five runs over six innings in a loss to the White Sox on April 25 and is 0-2 lifetime against Chicago. Alex Rios is 2-for-4 in his career with a homer versus Hellickson.

WALK-OFFS

1. Tampa Bay SS Yunel Escobar has gone 42 games without an error, the second-longest streak in club history behind Chris Gomez (52) in 2002.

2. Dunn has nine career walk-off homers, tied for third most among active players.

3. Rays 1B James Loney has hit safely in 15 straight games, matching his career high in 2008 with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

PREDICTION: Rays 6, White Sox 2