Tampa Bay @ Chicago preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 3, 2015 ) Tampa Bay 5, Chi. White Sox 4

Tampa Bay’s Chris Archer takes on fellow American League All-Star Chris Sale when the Rays visit the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday in a marquee matchup on the mound. Sale (177) and Archer (173) join Cleveland’s Corey Kluber (176) among the top three in the American League in strikeouts, but have found it difficult adding victories to their impressive numbers of late.

Archer will attempt to lead Tampa Bay to its third straight victory overall and fourth in a row against the White Sox this season while climbing back to the .500 mark. Mikie Mahtook’s go-ahead RBI single in the eighth inning gave the Rays a 5-4 victory in the series opener Monday and Evan Longoria posted three hits for the second time in four games. Archer must contend with slugger Jose Abreu, who belted his 19th homer Monday and is 20-for-52 during a 14-game hitting streak. Melky Cabrera is 23-for-50 over the last 12 games for Chicago, but went 0-for-4 in the series opener.

TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, Sun Sports (Tampa Bay), CSN Chicago

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Chris Archer (9-8, 2.54 ERA) vs. White Sox LH Chris Sale (9-6, 3.20)

Archer is winless in his last six games, although he limited opponents to two or fewer runs in four of them, after winning six straight decisions. The 26-year-old North Carolina native permitted three runs over seven innings in a no-decision against the White Sox on June 13 during a 5-4 Tampa Bay victory. Abreu is 5-for-9 with a homer versus Archer, who is 1-0 with a 4.64 ERA in four career appearances (three starts) against Chicago.

Sale is coming off one of his worst outings of the season when he yielded seven runs and a season-high 12 hits over five innings at Boston. The Lakeland, Fla. native is 3-4 in his last nine starts, including a loss at Tampa Bay on June 14 as he gave up two runs over 6 2/3 frames. Asdrubal Cabrera is 9-for-35 with four doubles and two homers versus Sale, who is 2-3 in seven career games (five starts) with a 3.48 ERA against the Rays.

WALK-OFFS

1. The White Sox have homered in a season-high seven straight contests and recorded 19 blasts in their last 12 outings.

2. Tampa Bay 1B-3B Richie Shaffer went 0-for-2 in his major-league debut Monday and became the 17th rookie to play for the team, breaking the franchise record for a single season.

3. Chicago 2B Carlos Sanchez had no homers in his first 88 major league games, but boasts three in the last 10 after going deep in the series opener.

PREDICTION: Rays 3, White Sox 1