Seattle @ Tampa Bay preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 13, 2013 ) Seattle 5, Tampa Bay 4

The Tampa Bay Rays have lost six straight games – one more than they dropped in the entire month of July – and red-hot David Price has a chance to change their course. The 2012 American League Cy Young Award winner gets the start as the Rays host the Seattle Mariners in the middle contest of a three-game series on Wednesday. Price, who has been outstanding since returning from a triceps injury in early July, looks to help the Rays maintain a two-game lead over Baltimore for the second AL wild-card spot.

Tampa Bay, blanked over the final four innings of its 5-4 loss to Seattle on Tuesday, fell four games behind Boston in the AL East. Orlando, Fla. native Brad Miller belted two homers in the first game of the series while Justin Smoak improved to 15-for-40 with 10 RBIs in 11 games this month. Seattle is 5-1 in its last six meetings with the Rays.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, ROOT (Seattle), Sun Sports (Tampa Bay)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mariners RH Aaron Harang (5-10, 5.79 ERA) vs. Rays LH David Price (6-5, 3.17)

Harang has allowed seven runs in three of his last five starts – all against AL East teams (Baltimore, Boston and Toronto). The veteran right-hander has walked 11 and struck out only eight during that five-game span while yielding six homers. Luke Scott is 5-for-19 with four extra-base hits versus Harang, who tossed seven scoreless innings against Tampa Bay in his major-league debut on May 25, 2002 while with Oakland.

Price gave up one earned run in 16 innings over his last two starts but came away without a decision. The left-hander walked only two and struck out 44 over his last eight outings since returning from the disabled list, going 5-1 with a 1.40 ERA and pitching nine innings four times. Michael Morse was 2-for-3 with a homer in a Washington uniform last year against Price, who will be facing Seattle for the first time in his career.

WALK-OFFS

1. Seattle belted a pair of homers Tuesday and has 143 overall – six shy of its total in all of 2012.

2. Tampa Bay OF/INF Ben Zobrist hit two home runs Tuesday after going deep twice in his previous 34 contests.

3. Mariners INF/OF Dustin Ackley is 8-for-14 over his last four games, raising his average from .213 to .233.

PREDICTION: Rays 8, Mariners 1