Tampa Bay @ Oakland preview
Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Last Meeting ( Jul 30, 2012 ) Tampa Bay 3, Oakland 4
The Oakland Athletics hope to continue their torrid pace Tuesday against the Tampa Bay Rays, only in far less time than it took to win Monday's series opener. The Athletics recorded their major league-leading 12th walk-off victory in a five-hour, nine-minute marathon that saw them set an Oakland record by striking out 21 times. The club has posted six straight one-run triumphs at home, where it has won nine of its last 17 in walk-off fashion.
Oakland, which leads the American League wild-card standings and is 3 1/2 games behind Texas in the West, has won 19 of 23 contests in July - including 13 of 16 since the All-Star break. Tampa Bay had allowed a total of three runs in its three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels over the weekend before yielding four on Monday. The Rays are 4-3 on their nine-game road trip.
TV: 10:05 p.m. ET, Sun Sports (Tampa Bay), CSN California (Oakland)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH James Shields (8-7, 4.52 ERA) vs. Athletics LH Tommy Milone (9-7, 3.51)
Shields has won only once in his last eight starts, beating the New York Yankees on July 3. The 30-year-old has surrendered four or more runs in six of seven outings but has struck out 10 in each of his last two. Shields lasted six innings in a loss at Baltimore on Thursday, yielding five runs and six hits.
Milone is coming off a loss at Toronto on Thursday in which he allowed six runs and eight hits over seven innings. The 25-year-old was superb in his previous outing as he struck out 10 over seven scoreless frames of a no-decision against the Yankees. Milone won his only career start against the Rays on May 6 despite allowing five runs in five innings at Tampa Bay.
WALK-OFFS
1. Oakland stranded 16 runners Monday, leaving the bases loaded in both the ninth and 10th innings.
2. The Rays' pitching staff had its streak of consecutive scoreless innings snapped at 24, which tied the franchise mark.
3. Tampa Bay LHP David Price recorded 11 of his team's franchise-record 21 strikeouts Monday. He has fanned 23 over 15 innings in his last two starts against Oakland.