Tampa Bay @ Boston preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 17, 2018 ) Tampa Bay 3, Boston 7

The Boston Red Sox are dominating in all areas, but their play at home has been particularly outstanding of late. The best team in the major leagues will try to extend their exceptional run at Fenway Park when they play the second of three straight against the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday.

After falling behind 3-0 in the top of the first inning Friday night, Boston rallied for a 7-3 triumph to improve to 19-3 at home since June 23, which includes five straight victories. Each of the first five Red Sox batters scored a run in the win and Xander Bogaerts finished with three hits and two RBIs as the club maintained a 10 1/2-game lead over the New York Yankees in the American League East. Boston lefty David Price has controlled matters against his former team and will try to stay hot when he gets the start Saturday against Tyler Glasnow. Joey Wendle's two-run double in the first was the highlight Friday for the Rays, who are 2-5 at Fenway this year.

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

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Tyler Glasnow (1-2, 3.97 ERA) vs. Red Sox LH David Price (12-6, 3.75)

Glasnow has a 2.25 ERA and 20 strikeouts in 12 innings since being traded to the Rays before the deadline. He's allowed just six hits in that stretch, including two in five innings at Toronto his last time out. The 24-year-old will be facing the Red Sox for the first time.

Price is 2-0 with a 1.03 ERA over his last four starts and struck out 10 batters in six scoreless his last time out at Baltimore. He owns five straight quality starts at home and is 5-2 with a 3.28 ERA at Fenway Park on the year. The Vanderbilt product is 1-1 with a 2.10 ERA over four starts against the Rays this season.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Red Sox activated 2B Ian Kinsler (hamstring) from the 10-day disabled list and placed 3B Rafael Devers (hamstring) on the DL.

2. Rays CF Mallex Smith is 7-for-14 over the last three games.

3. With a victory either Saturday or Sunday the Red Sox would improve to 10-0-3 in their last 13 series, which would be the team's longest run of unbeaten sets since 1972 (10-0-6).

PREDICTION: Red Sox 5, Rays 3