Tampa Bay @ Philadelphia preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 2, 2015 ) Tampa Bay 10, Philadelphia 1

The Tampa Bay Rays hope that interleague play provides their struggling offense a boost when they visit the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday to start a three-game series. The Rays are 6-3 against the National League this season while batting .279 and averaging five runs – much better than their overall marks of .238 and 3.59 - after totaling five runs in losing two of three at Toronto.

The Rays managed only four hits in a 4-0 loss Sunday while the Phillies (32-62), who own the worst record in baseball, were finishing a three-game sweep of Miami with an 8-7 victory. Three-time All-Star Evan Longoria is 2-for-20 with five strikeouts in his last six games for Tampa Bay, which stands at the .500 mark (47-47). Matt Moore attempts to find his best form for the Rays in his fourth start since returning from Tommy John surgery and faces David Buchanan, who is winless in 2015. Jeff Francoeur belted two homers in the last series for the Phillies, including a walk-off blast Sunday.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, Sun Sports (Tampa Bay), CSN Philadelphia

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays LH Matt Moore (1-0, 7.07 ERA) vs. Phillies RH David Buchanan (0-5, 7.59)

Moore limited Houston to three runs on five hits in five innings against Houston last time out to earn his first victory since Sept. 29, 2013. The 26-year-old, who has eight strikeouts and seven walks overall in 2015, gave up eight runs and 15 hits in nine innings combined over his first two starts since April 2014. Francoeur is 2-for-5 versus Moore, who meets the Phillies for the first time and is 2-0 with a 3.91 ERA in four career interleague starts.

Buchanan makes his seventh start of 2015 and is coming off his best this season, yielding one run and eight hits over five innings in a no-decision at San Francisco on July 11. The 26-year-old Atlanta native allowed 24 runs over 24 2/3 innings in five April starts before being demoted to Triple-A. Buchanan, who faces the Rays for the first time, permitted six runs over three innings against Boston in his only interleague start this season.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Rays have won four of six meetings since losing to the Phillies in five games in the 2008 World Series.

2. Philadelphia 1B Ryan Howard is 8-for-22 during a six-game hitting streak and boasts at least one RBI in five consecutive contests.

3. Tampa Bay RF Steven Souza Jr. (finger), the team’s leader in homers with 15, could return from the disabled list as early as Tuesday.

PREDICTION: Rays 6, Phillies 3