Los Angeles @ Tampa Bay preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 10, 2015 ) LA Angels 2, Tampa Bay 4

The Tampa Bay Rays will go for their fourth consecutive series win when they host the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday in the rubber match of a three-game set. The Rays bounced back from an 8-2 series opening loss with a 4-2 victory on Wednesday to improve to 8-3 over their last 11 games and close within 1 1/2 games of the first-place New York Yankees in the American League East.

Third baseman Evan Longoria returned to Tampa Bay's starting lineup for the first time in four games and delivered a solo homer Wednesday. It was the sixth blast of the season and ended a 15-game drought for Longoria, who has averaged more than 26 homers over his first seven seasons. Kyle Kubitza had an eventful major-league debut for Los Angeles on Wednesday, collecting a pair of hits but committing a pair of blunders on the bases and in the field. Losers of six of seven, the Angels send right-hander Garrett Richards to the mound against Alex Colome.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FSN West (Los Angeles), Sun Sports (Tampa Bay)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Angels RH Garrett Richards (5-4, 4.14 ERA) vs. Rays RH Alex Colome (3-2, 4.54)

Although he has alternated wins and losses in his last six starts, Richards is mired in a rocky stretch and is coming off one of the worst performances of his career. He failed to get out of the first inning at the New York Yankees on Saturday, yielding six runs on five hits. That ended a streak of eight straight starts of at least six innings pitched for Richards, who has given up at least one homer in four straight turns.

Colome was battered for five runs on nine hits over six innings in a 7-3 loss at the Angels on June 1, with three home runs accounting for all the damage against him. The 26-year-old Dominican bounced back with six innings of one-run ball at Seattle on Saturday but did not factor in the decision. Colome has yet to go beyond six innings this season, although he's yielded two runs or fewer in three of his four home starts.

WALK-OFFS

1. Rays CF Desmond Jennings underwent knee surgery Wednesday that is expected to sideline him eight weeks.

2. Angels SS Erick Aybar has hit safely in 25 of the last 28 games.

3. Rays SS Asdrubal Cabrera went 2-for-4 with a double Wednesday to end a 15-game drought without an extra-base hit.

PREDICTION: Angels 4, Rays 3