Tampa Bay @ Oakland preview

Last Meeting ( May 9, 2010 ) Tampa Bay 0, Oakland 4

Sporting a five-game winning streak and tied for the best record in the majors, the Tampa Bay Rays begin a seven-game West Coast trip tonight in Oakland.

The Rays head west after completing a sweep of the AL West-leading Texas Rangers with an 8-6 win on Wednesday. Evan Longoria hit his 16th homer and drove in four runs.

Tampa Bay (74-46) shares the AL East lead with the New York Yankees and has its best record ever after 120 games.

The Rays, traditionally not a strong road team, have changed their fortunes this season and have the best road record in the majors at 35-22. However, they have lost four of five in Oakland.

Oakland earned a 5-4 victory over Toronto Wednesday. After Toronto rallied to tie the score with three runs in the ninth, Cliff Pennington drove in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth to give the Athletics their sixth consecutive series victory.

With the win, the A’s (59-60) moved to within eight games of Texas. This series against the Rays could be one of their final shots to stay in the AL West race.

The Rays will start right-hander Andy Sonnanstine (3-1, 4.10 ERA) in tonight's opener and figure to get one of their toughest tests on this trip against Oakland ace Trevor Cahill (12-5, 2.50).

Cahill has the second-lowest ERA in the AL and can break Nolan Ryan’s major-league streak of 20 consecutive starts going at least five innings and allowing six hits or fewer. Cahill has allowed just one earned run in his last four starts with a 0.28 ERA. Cahill also leads the AL in opponent’s batting average (.195) and slugging percentage (.297).

Cahill lost his only start against the Rays on April 24, going just 2 2/3 innings and allowing seven runs on eight hits.

Sonnanstine is making his sixth career start against the A’s. He is 2-3 with a 6.79 ERA lifetime against Oakland. He made two relief appearances against the A’s this season. Sonnanstine also could be making his final start, as right-handers Jeff Niemann and Wade Davis are expected to return from the disabled list.

Oakland center fielder Coco Crisp was 3-for-3 with a homer and two doubles Wednesday. He is 6-for-7 with three doubles and three RBIs in his last two games.

Tampa Bay left fielder Carl Crawford is batting .342 with two homers and eight RBIs during a nine-game hitting streak, but is just 2-for-20 against Oakland this season.