Boston @ Tampa Bay preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 22, 2016 ) Boston 6, Tampa Bay 2

Surrounding David Ortiz with a roster full of dynamic young players might be just the thing to get the departing slugger back to the playoffs in his final season. Ortiz and his band of young stars will go for their 10th win in 12 games when they visit the Tampa Bay Rays in the second of a four-game series on Tuesday.

Boston sent 25-and-under budding stars Mookie Betts, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Xander Bogaerts to the All-Star Game last month and continued adding to the stable of talent by recalling last year’s first-round draft pick, Andrew Benintendi, earlier this month. Benintendi hit his first major-league home run on Sunday at Detroit and impacted the game on the other side of the ball on Monday by leaping over the fence to save a home run in left field in the eighth inning as the Red Sox went on to take the opener 6-2. The win pushed Boston into a tie for first place in the American League East with the Toronto Blue Jays while the Rays fell for the second time in eight games. Last-place Tampa Bay will have an impact on the postseason race in the AL with all but four of its remaining 39 games – a four-game series at the Chicago White Sox in late September – coming against teams with winning records.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, NESN (Boston), FSN Sun (Tampa Bay)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Red Sox RH Clay Buchholz (4-9, 5.42 ERA) vs. Rays RH Chris Archer (7-16, 4.18)

Buchholz is making his third straight start since being plucked back from the bullpen and is hoping to follow up a solid effort at Detroit on Thursday. The veteran Texan scattered one run and six hits over six frames without walking a batter and left in position for the win before the bullpen squandered a lead. Buchholz has been strong against Tampa Bay in his career, building up an 8-7 record with a 2.63 ERA in 20 starts.

Archer is steadily pulling himself out of a rough season and posted a quality start in five of his last six outings. The 27-year-old had his best start in that stretch against San Diego on Wednesday when he surrendered four hits and struck out nine in 7 1/3 scoreless innings to earn the win. Archer is 0-3 with an 8.10 ERA in three starts against the Red Sox this season.

WALK-OFFS

1. Red Sox LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (hamstring) will throw a three-inning simulated game on Tuesday while RHPs Steven Wright (shoulder) and Koji Uehara (pectoral strain) will throw in the bullpen.

2. Tampa Bay 3B Evan Longoria is 16-for-39 with four home runs and 14 RBIs in the last 10 games.

3. Boston C Sandy Leon hit safely in nine of 10 games and is batting .383.

PREDICTION: Red Sox 3, Rays 2