Cleveland @ Tampa Bay preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 8, 2012 ) Tampa Bay 7, Cleveland 6

A pair of playoff contenders square off when the Tampa Bay Rays host the Cleveland Indians in a four-game series beginning Monday. Both teams sit third in their respective divisions – the Rays 8½ games behind the New York Yankees in the East and the Indians four back of the Chicago White Sox in the Central. Tampa Bay, though, is one-half game out of the second and final wild-card spot, with Cleveland another half-game behind. The teams split a four-game set in Cleveland entering the All-Star break.

Tampa Bay’s Alex Cobb will oppose Cleveland’s Zach McAllister. Cobb defeated the Indians 10-3 on July 6, while McAllister was in line for a victory against the Rays on July 8 before All-Star closer Chris Perez allowed three runs in the ninth inning of Tampa Bay’s 7-6 victory. Each club came out of the break by losing two of three this weekend, including the series finale. Cleveland fell 3-0 at Toronto, while Tampa Bay lost to Boston 7-3.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, STO (Cleveland), SunSports (Tampa Bay)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Indians RH Zach McAllister (3-1, 3.40 ERA) vs. Rays RH Alex Cobb (4-5, 4.89)

McAllister allowed four runs (none earned), four hits, walked three and matched a season high with eight strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings in the Tampa Bay game. He will make his eighth start of the season, with his only loss coming at Boston 4-1 on May 12. McAllister is 2-0 with a 2.59 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 17 1/3 innings in three starts since being recalled from Triple-A Columbus on June 28.

Cobb settled down after allowing two runs, including one on a balk, before yielding three runs and six hits in six innings against the Indians in his last start. Cleveland’s Asdrubal Cabrera and Shin-Soo Choo each had two hits against Cobb in that game. Cobb allowed 13 runs (12 earned) and 21 hits in his previous two starts – both losses – covering 13 1/3 innings. He has yielded only three home runs and has 40 strikeouts against only 16 walks in 57 innings this season.

WALK-OFFS

1. Cleveland’s Michael Brantley has a 13-game hitting streak covering 14 games. He is 21-for-47 during that span, including a game in which he entered as a pinch runner and later was intentionally walked in his only at-bat. Brantley had a 22-game streak earlier this season, the longest in the major leagues in 2012.

2. Tampa Bay 3B Evan Longoria fielded ground balls Sunday. Longoria has been out of the lineup since April 30 with a hamstring injury. The Rays were 15-8 in April, but 31-35 since.

3. Cabrera, who leads the Indians with 11 home runs, snapped an 0-for-16 slide with a single in the first inning Sunday.