Tampa Bay @ Philadelphia preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 20, 2015 ) Tampa Bay 3, Philadelphia 5

Top prospect Aaron Nola makes his major-league debut on the mound as the Philadelphia Phillies look for their fifth straight victory Tuesday when they host the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday. The Phillies chose Nola seventh overall in the 2014 draft and he has moved up quickly to earn his shot against the struggling Rays, who have dropped 18 of their last 25 games.

The Phillies followed up a three-game sweep of Miami after the All-Star break with a 5-3 win in the series opener Monday as Cesar Hernandez knocked in two runs for the second straight contest. Tampa Bay stood a season-high 10 games over .500 on June 20 and led the American League East by a game, but has fallen all the way to fourth place in a month. Logan Forsythe is 5-for-12 with three RBIs in the last four games for the Rays, who have managed just eight runs in that span. Tampa Bay will get home run leader Steven Souza Jr. (finger) back from the disabled list Tuesday.

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

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Nathan Karns (4-5, 3.63 ERA) vs. Phillies RH Aaron Nola (NR)

Karns allowed seven runs on nine hits over six innings against Kansas City in his last start to extend his winless stretch to four games. The 27-year-old Texas Tech product has been solid overall while limiting opponents to two or fewer runs in 13 of 18 starts and striking out 99 in 104 innings. Karns, who has only walked 38 this season and will face Philadelphia for the first time, has held opponents to a .209 average on the road in 2015.

The 22-year-old Nola, ranked the 28th best prospect overall by MLB.com, went 23-2 combined in his final two seasons at LSU and was named SEC Pitcher of the Year in each. The Baton Rouge, La., native went 10-4 with a 2.39 ERA between Double-A and Triple-A in 2015 while yielding 97 hits and striking out 92 in 109 1/3 innings. Nola gave up five runs and seven hits over three innings in his last start with Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Thursday.

WALK-OFFS

1. Tampa Bay OF Grady Sizemore, who went 2-for-2 in the series opener, was optioned to Triple-A Durham to make room for Souza on the roster.

2. Philadelphia OF Jeff Francoeur is 5-for-6 with a pair of homers, five RBIs and four runs scored in his last three games.

3. Rays 1B James Loney was 0-for-4 on Friday, but is batting .353 in his career at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.

PREDICTION: Rays 5, Phillies 3