Tampa Bay @ Detroit preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 29, 2015 ) Detroit 2, Tampa Bay 1

If the Tampa Bay Rays have any hope of getting back into the race for the second American League wild card, then they need to take advantage of the teams lower in the standings. The Rays will attempt to do just that when they visit the Detroit Tigers for the opener of a three-game series on Monday.

Tampa Bay is two games below .500 and 4 1/2 games behind the Texas Rangers for the second wild card after dropping three of its last four games. The Rays are running out of time to make their move but finish out their nine-game road trip with the floundering Tigers before returning home for a date with the last-place Boston Red Sox. Detroit looked like it might have enough juice left over following the trades of David Price and Yoenis Cespedes to at least make things interesting in the wild card race but has instead lost 13 of 16 games to drop into last place in the AL Central. The Tigers have scored three runs or fewer in seven of their last 10 games and will try to generate some offense against Tampa Bay starter Drew Smyly on Monday.

TV: 1:08 p.m. ET, Sun Sports (Tampa Bay), FSN Detroit

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays LH Drew Smyly (2-2, 3.11 ERA) vs. Tigers LH Randy Wolf (0-3, 6.11)

Smyly, who was acquired from Detroit as part of the package that sent Price to the Tigers at the 2014 trade deadline, had his best outing since coming off the disabled list at Baltimore on Tuesday. The 26-year-old struck out 10 over seven scoreless innings while scattering four hits to earn the win. Smyly has made four starts since being activated and did not allow a run in either of his last two road outings.

Wolf is winless in three starts since being brought back to the majors on Aug. 22. The 39-year-old spent most of the past two seasons bouncing around Triple-A but went seven innings in each of his first two starts for Detroit before getting hammered for eight runs in 3 2/3 innings by the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday. Wolf spent most of his career in the National League and is 2-2 with a 4.95 ERA in four career games against Tampa Bay.

WALK-OFFS

1. Rays 2B Logan Forsythe is 14-for-26 during a seven-game hitting streak.

2. Detroit 1B Miguel Cabrera is 1-for-11 over the last three games, dropping his league-leading average to .353.

3. Tampa Bay OF Steven Souza Jr. (fractured hand) began a rehab assignment over the weekend and could rejoin the team this week.

PREDICTION: Rays 5, Tigers 2