Tampa Bay @ Detroit preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 8, 2015 ) Tampa Bay 7, Detroit 8

Rajai Davis looks to finish off a dominant series with the bat when his Detroit Tigers vie for a three-game sweep of the visiting Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday. Davis is 4-for-9 through the first two contests of the set with three homers and five RBIs, including a walk-off sacrifice fly in the 13th inning that gave the Tigers an 8-7 victory on Tuesday.

Detroit has won three of its last four games while two-time American League MVP Miguel Cabrera snapped out of a mini slump with a pair of hits and a walk Tuesday. The Rays, who fell to 2-12 in extra-inning games, started their road trip with two straight wins and have lost five of six contests since to severely damage any wild-card hopes. Evan Longoria is doing his best to keep Tampa Bay in it, going 11-for-30 with five homers and 10 RBIs on the trek. The Rays are 24-16 against left-handed starters and face southpaw Kyle Lobstein Wednesday while sending Jake Odorizzi to the mound.

TV: 7:08 p.m. ET, Sun Sports (Tampa Bay), FSN Detroit

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Jake Odorizzi (6-8, 3.35 ERA) vs. Tigers LH Kyle Lobstein (3-6, 5.02)

Odorizzi is winless in his last seven outings, allowing nine runs over 11 1/3 innings in the past two, but has completed at least six frames in seven of eight starts. The 25-year-old, who limited five of his last nine opponents to two or fewer runs, has been better at home (3-3, 2.61 ERA) than on the road (3-5, 3.94). J.D. Martinez is 3-for-6 versus Odorizzi, who owns a 1-1 record and 2.84 ERA in two career starts against Detroit.

Lobstein will attempt to end a four-game losing streak – all at home - in which he has permitted 18 runs over 19 innings combined. The 26-year-old Arizona native, who faces Tampa Bay for the first time, has struggled at Comerica Park with a 1-5 mark and 6.19 ERA in six outings. Lobstein yielded six runs for the second time in four starts and eight hits over 4 1/3 innings against Cleveland last time out.

WALK-OFFS

1. Tampa Bay 2B Logan Forsythe went 12-for-22 to be named AL Player of the Week Tuesday, but is 1-for-10 in the series.

2. Detroit 2B Ian Kinsler, who leads the majors with 54 multi-hit games, is one hit shy of 1,500 in his career.

3. Tampa Bay C J.P. Arencibia is 11-for-25 with three homers and nine RBIs in the past eight contests.

PREDICTION: Rays 6, Tigers 2