Tampa Bay @ Boston preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 13, 2015 ) Boston 2, Tampa Bay 0

The Boston Red Sox continue to build confidence for 2016 while giving playoff-bound teams fits and winning 14 of their last 22 contests. The Red Sox look to ride that momentum right out of last place in the American League East when they begin a four-game home set against the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night.

The Red Sox trail the fourth-place Rays by one-half game and are just 1 ½ behind third-place Baltimore after taking two of three at AL East-leading Toronto over the weekend. Xavier Bogaerts (16-for-41) and Dustin Pedroia (15-for-42, nine RBIs) both attempt to extend for their hitting streaks to 10 games for Boston on Monday. James Loney is 11-for-22 during a six-game hitting streak for the Rays, who rallied with two runs in the ninth to beat Baltimore 7-6 on Sunday. Tampa Bay starter Chris Archer hopes to add to his club-record 243 strikeouts and turn around a 1-6 all-time record against the Red Sox while facing Boston’s 22-year-old Eduardo Rodriguez.

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

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Chris Archer (12-12, 2.95 ERA) vs. Red Sox LH Eduardo Rodriguez (9-6, 3.94)


Archer is winless in his last three outings, allowing 10 runs (nine earned) over 17 1/3 innings, and will equal his career high with his 32nd start. The North Carolina native needs 1 2/3 innings to reach 200 for the first time in his career and is 9-4 with a 2.70 ERA on the road. David Ortiz is 9-for-23 with two homers and 11 RBIs versus Archer, who is 0-2 with a 4.32 ERA in three starts against Boston this season.

Rodriguez is getting stronger as his rookie season draws to a close, permitting just six earned runs in his last five starts while posting a 3-1 record. The Venezuelan rookie has struck out 16 over 12 1/3 frames in his last two starts and is 6-2 across 11 home starts. Mikie Mahtook is 2-for-3 against Rodriguez, who did not factor into the decision after yielding three runs in five innings versus the Rays on July 31.

WALK-OFFS


1. Tampa Bay 3B Evan Longoria, who needs one homer to reach 20 for the seventh time in his first eight years in the majors, is 4-for-9 with a double and a triple over the last two games.

2. Boston’s rookie 1B Travis Shaw is 6-for-11 in his last three contests and has reached base safely in 12 straight.

3. Rays LH Jake McGee (knee) threw a simulated game on Sunday and could return at some point this week.

PREDICTION: Rays 3, Red Sox 2