Cleveland @ Tampa Bay preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 1, 2015 ) Cleveland 8, Tampa Bay 1

Reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber takes the mound for the Cleveland Indians as they attempt to complete a four-game sweep of the host Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday afternoon. Kluber has some difficult acts to follow as the Indians' previous three starters each retired at least the first 15 batters they faced, with Carlos Carrasco nearly tossing a no-hitter in Wednesday’s 8-1 victory.

Cleveland, which was blanked in both ends of a doubleheader at Baltimore on Sunday, has posted 21 runs while allowing four in three contests since - with Carrasco coming within one out of history. Matt Moore will try to cool off the Indians as he makes his first major-league start in almost 15 months after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Moore’s main objective is to control leadoff hitter Jason Kipnis, who is 6-for-14 with a homer and three RBIs this week. The Rays, who have recorded only six hits in the series, are in the midst of a stretch during which they have dropped eight of 10 games that began with a 1-0 loss at Cleveland on June 21.

TV: 12:10 p.m. ET, SportsTime Ohio (Cleveland)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Indians RH Corey Kluber (3-9, 3.66 ERA) vs. Rays LH Matt Moore (2014: 0-2, 2.70)

Kluber was winless with a 3.97 ERA in five starts last month, including a seven-inning stint against the Rays in which he allowed four runs in a 4-1 defeat. The Alabama native has finished at least seven frames in eight of his last nine outings and has struck out 127 in 110 2/3 innings overall. Evan Longoria is 4-for-10 with a home run versus Kluber, who is 2-1 with a 2.28 ERA in four lifetime starts against Tampa Bay.

Moore went 17-4 in 2013 and made only two starts last season before suffering an elbow injury that ended his campaign. The 2007 eighth-round draft pick made a total of five rehab appearances at Class-A and Triple-A, yielding seven earned runs and 21 hits in 21 1/3 innings with 24 strikeouts. Mike Aviles is 3-for-10 with a homer against Moore, who is 2-1 with a 3.78 ERA in four career outings versus Cleveland.

WALK-OFFS

1. Tampa Bay RF Steven Souza Jr., who leads the team with 14 homers, is 0-for-22 in his last seven games with 13 strikeouts.

2. Cleveland OF David Murphy, who batted .340 in June, is 9-for-21 in his last nine contests.

3. The Rays optioned 1B Marc Krauss -- 1-for-10 in four games since being acquired -- to Triple-A Durham, making room on the roster for Moore.

PREDICTION: Indians 3, Rays 1