Tampa Bay @ Boston preview

Last Meeting ( May 24, 2018 ) Boston 3, Tampa Bay 6

The Tampa Bay Rays took two of three from the Yankees in New York to start the week and continue their difficult road trip with the first of three against the major league-best Boston Red Sox on Friday. The Rays scored twice in the first inning on Thursday and escaped a bases-loaded, none-out jam in the ninth for a 3-1 victory to win a series at Yankee Stadium for the first time since 2014.

Mallex Smith has gone 5-for-10 in his last two games to raise his batting average to .299 while Joey Wendle is 12-for-33 with eight RBIs in his last nine contests and 8-for-19 against the Red Sox this year. The Rays (62-59) will use the bullpen in the series opener and Boston sends Brian Johnson to the mound as it looks to improve on a 9-4 record versus Tampa Bay in 2018. Boston (86-36) enjoyed a day off Thursday after going 7-2 on a road trip and hold a 10 1/2-game lead over the second-place Yankees in the American League East. Mookie Betts is riding a 10-game hitting streak and batting .449 in August for the Red Sox while teammate Brock Holt has hit safely in seven straight contests, going 10-for-25 with six RBIs in that span.

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

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Ryne Stanek (1-3, 2.42 ERA) vs. Red Sox LH Brian Johnson (3-3, 3.95)

Stanek was scheduled to make the start Friday but threw 18 pitches to get two outs in Thursday’s victory, so the hard-throwing 27-year-old may work only an inning or get replaced in the opening role. The native of Kansas is 0-2 with a 2.51 ERA while making 19 starts this year, striking out 40 and walking 12 across 28 2/3 innings. Brett Gardner is 2-for-4 versus Stanek, who has permitted one hit in 1 1/3 frames against the Red Sox in 2018.

Johnson is slated to make his ninth start of the season after pitching one scoreless inning of relief Sunday against Baltimore. The 27-year-old Floridian gave up 10 runs - nine earned - and 12 hits (five homers) with 17 strikeouts over 12 innings in his first two starts of August to win both. Johnson yielded seven runs and 12 hits across 4 2/3 frames in three relief appearances against Tampa Bay earlier in the season.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Red Sox are expected to activate 2B Ian Kinsler on Friday after the veteran missed two weeks with a hamstring injury

2. Tampa Bay OF Tommy Pham went 2-for-3 with an RBI in Thursday’s win after returning from a foot injury that forced him to miss two weeks.

3. Boston SS Xander Bogaerts is 17-for-45 with a pair of homers and 12 RBIs against the Rays this season.

PREDICTION: Rays 7, Red Sox 5