Houston @ Tampa Bay preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 22, 2014 ) Houston 2, Tampa Bay 5

The Tampa Bay Rays are in a full-fledged freefall heading toward the All-Star break but hope to build some positive momentum when they host the Houston Astros on Friday in the opener of their three-game series. The Rays have dropped 11 of their last 12 contests following a four-game sweep at Kansas City in which they were outscored 33-16.

"It hasn't been going well for us, obviously," Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said. "We've had times throughout the season where it has, and now it's not going that well. We need to get home and hopefully change that around." The Rays were leading the American League East before their current 3-15 slide and now face another division leader in Houston, which is stumbling through a mini-swoon of its own. The Astros have lost five of six after dropping the final three contests of a four-game set in Cleveland. A lack of offense has been the main culprit for Houston, which scored only three runs during its three-game skid and is trying to hold off the surging Los Angeles Angels in the AL West.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, ROOT (Houston), Sun Sports (Tampa Bay)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Astros RH Collin McHugh (9-4, 4.54 ERA) vs. Rays RH Erasmo Ramirez (7-3, 3.80)

McHugh had his three-start winning streak come to an end in his last outing, when he was charged with four runs (three earned) and seven hits over 5 1/3 innings at Boston on Saturday. He matched his season low with one strikeout after fanning 22 and permitting six runs over 22 frames in his previous three turns. The 28-year-old McHugh has lost both of his career starts against the Rays despite a 2.45 ERA and .209 batting average against.

Ramirez continued his stretch of strong performances by limiting the New York Yankees to one run over six innings last time out to improve to 5-1 in his last seven starts. The 25-year-old Nicaraguan has permitted a total of five runs in that span and showed he's healthy after leaving an outing at Cleveland on June 20 with a groin injury. He is 1-1 with a 4.60 ERA in three appearances (two starts) against Houston.

WALK-OFFS

1. Tampa Bay's pitching staff was knocked around for 52 hits by Kansas City, the most the team allowed in a series since June 2007 (Yankees, 63).

2. Astros 1B Chris Carter, mired in a 6-for-56 slump, sat out the series finale versus Cleveland.

3. Rays LF John Jaso was 7-for-12 in the series against Kansas City after returning from a three-month stint on the disabled list.

PREDICTION: Rays 3, Astros 2