Boston @ Tampa Bay preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 2, 2015 ) Tampa Bay 4, Boston 3

The Tampa Bay Rays closed out their road trip with losses in five of the last seven games to make their slim hopes of jumping into the second American League wild card an even greater stretch. The surging Boston Red Sox will try to knock them even further back when they visit the Rays for the opener of a three-game series on Friday.

Tampa Bay dropped series at the New York Yankees and Detroit Tigers to finish its nine-game trip and sits three games under .500 as Texas and Minnesota turn the race for the second wild card into a two-team scrum. The bigger worry for the Rays right now might be avoiding last place in the AL East, as they enter the weekend only two games up on the last-place Red Sox and one game ahead of the fourth-place Baltimore Orioles. Boston has not been playing like a last-place team for the last month and finished out its homestand by taking two of three from the first-place Toronto Blue Jays, including a 10-4 drubbing to close out the series on Wednesday. Tampa Bay will send ace Chris Archer to the mound on Friday while the Red Sox counter with lefty Wade Miley.

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

PITCHING MATCHUP: Red Sox LH Wade Miley (11-10, 4.43 ERA) vs. Rays RH Chris Archer (12-11, 2.88)

Miley bounced back from a pair of subpar outings with a gem against Philadelphia on Saturday, scattering two runs and five hits in his first career complete game. The Louisiana native is at his best when he stays around the strike zone, and he struck out eight without issuing a walk in that win. Miley is making his fourth start of the season against Tampa Bay and went 1-1 with a 1.93 ERA in the first three chances.

Archer is having a difficult time maintaining consistency down the stretch and alternated losses and wins over his last five outings. The 26-year-old did not allow a run in either of the two wins but was knocked around for 15 earned runs in 17 2/3 total innings in the three losses. Archer is just 1-6 with a 5.48 ERA in nine career starts against Boston.

WALK-OFFS

1. Red Sox DH David Ortiz belted his 498th career home run on Wednesday and is 7-for-20 with a pair of homers and 10 RBIs in his career against Archer.

2. Tampa Bay 3B Evan Longoria is 6-for-11 with five RBIs and three runs scored in his last three games.

3. Boston CF Mookie Betts has hit safely in 15 straight games.

PREDICTION: Red Sox 6, Rays 5