Tampa Bay @ Texas preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 27, 2012 ) Tampa Bay 5, Texas 6

Adrian Beltre’s hot hitting didn’t end after being named American League Player of the Week and the visiting Tampa Bay Rays will try to silence the Texas Rangers’ third baseman in Tuesday’s second contest of a three-game series. Beltre went 3-for-3 with a homer and four RBIs as Texas won the opener and has six homers and 13 RBIs over the last eight games. Tampa Bay has lost three straight games to fall out of the two wild card spots.

The Rays are struggling in close games, losing nine of their last 10 one-run contests. Tampa Bay has won only six of its last 24 one-run affairs after going 12-4 to start the campaign. Texas has won five of six games and has a 5 1/2-game lead over the Oakland Athletics in the AL West. Yu Darvish starts for the Rangers after being scratched from his last start because of a quadriceps injury. Rangers star Josh Hamilton is 3-for-19 against Rays starter James Shields, but two of the hits are homers.

TV: 8:05 p.m. ET, Sun Sports (Tampa Bay), FS Southwest (Texas)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH James Shields (12-7, 4.01 ERA) vs. Rangers RH Yu Darvish (12-9, 4.51)

Shields has been on a roll and is 4-0 with a 2.15 ERA over his last five starts. He defeated the Kansas City Royals in his last outing when he gave up three runs and five hits in 7 2/3 innings. Shields beat Texas in late April when he allowed four runs and 11 hits in six innings. He is 6-2 with a 3.32 ERA in nine career starts against the Rangers.

Darvish has lost five of seven decisions after a 10-4 start. He struck out 10 while losing to the Toronto Blue Jays in his last outing when he gave up three runs and three hits in seven innings. Darvish is 8-2 with a 4.50 ERA in 11 home starts. He has never faced Tampa Bay.

WALK-OFFS

1. Rangers SS Elvis Andrus is 10-for-16 with two doubles and two triples against Shields.

2. Rays 3B Evan Longoria hit a two-run homer in the opener, his third in 18 games since coming off the disabled list after recovering from a hamstring injury.

3. Beltre is batting .265 with one homer in 34 at-bats against Shields and has struck out 15 times.