Texas @ Tampa Bay preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 30, 2013 ) Tampa Bay 5, Texas 2

The Texas Rangers' pitching rotation remains the hot-button topic among experts deciding whether the team can challenge for the American League West title. A key member of the back end of that rotation makes his Rangers debut Friday night as left-hander Joe Saunders leads Texas into Tropicana Field for the opener of a three-game set against Tampa Bay. The Rangers are coming off a series victory over the visiting Philadelphia Phillies in interleague play.

Saunders represents a gamble by the Rangers, who hope the 32-year-old can rediscover the form that led him to 33 victories in a two-year span with the Los Angeles Angels in the late-2000s. He's matched up against Rays right-hander Jake Odorizzi, who will make just his seventh major-league start as he looks to pin down his role at the back end of the Tampa Bay rotation. The Rays are coming off a split of a four-game series against visiting Toronto.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, KTXA (Texas), Sun Sports (Tampa Bay)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rangers LH Joe Saunders (2013: 11-16, 5.26 ERA) vs. Rays RH Jake Odorizzi (2013: 0-1, 3.94)

If Saunders is hoping to make a good impression on his new employers, Tropicana Field may not be the place to do it. Saunders has struggled against the Rays over the course of his career, going 0-3 with an unsightly 8.40 ERA in three career starts. The 2002 first-round pick posted an underwhelming 11-16 record with the Seattle Mariners in 2013, thanks in large part to right-handed hitters teeing off to the tune of a .337 average and 22 homers in 587 at-bats.

Odorizzi, acquired in the 2012 trade with Kansas City that sent pitcher James Shields to the Royals, is the latest in a series of talented young pitchers hoping to find stardom in St. Petersburg. The 24-year-old Illinois native had a respectable season with the Triple-A Durham Bulls in 2013, going 9-6 with a 3.33 ERA and 124 strikeouts over 124 1/3 innings. He went 1-2 with a 4.24 ERA during spring training, making three starts and three relief appearances.

WALK-OFFS

1. The teams split eight meetings last season, with Tampa Bay prevailing 5-2 in the wild-card tiebreaker game Sept. 30.

2. Rays slugger Evan Longoria (163) needs one home run to set the franchise record he co-holds with Carlos Pena.

3. Rangers OF Leonys Martin is 5-for-11 with four RBIs to open the season.

PREDICTION: Rays 6, Rangers 4