Tampa Bay @ Texas preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 12, 2014 ) Tampa Bay 2, Texas 3

The Tampa Bay Rays try to recover from another wasted opportunity when they continue a four-game series at Texas on Wednesday. The Rays are 4-4 on their 10-game road trip while sustaining a series of painful losses that have hurt their postseason chances. They are 1-3 in extra innings on the trek after a 3-2 loss in 14 innings Tuesday, remaining six games out of the second wild-card spot in the American League.

Tampa Bay led 2-0 heading into the seventh inning Tuesday before giving up the tying runs and failing to come up with any sort of an answer, which has been a theme on the trip. The Rays are batting .192 with runners in scoring position on the voyage, going 0-for-6 in the 14-inning setback. The Rangers have won four of seven following an 8-34 stretch.

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

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Chris Archer (7-6, 3.33 ERA) vs. Rangers RH Miles Mikolas (1-4, 6.57)

Archer limited the Chicago Cubs to one earned run in six innings Friday, posting his 14th quality start and lowering his road ERA to 3.25. He has thrown at least six innings in eight of his last nine appearances. Archer, who has 15 strikeouts against just three walks in two starts this month, owns a 2.77 ERA in two career starts versus the Rangers but has never faced them on the road.

Mikolas has shaken off a rough start to his season by allowing two runs or fewer in three of his last four outings while holding opponents to a .220 average. He left with the lead at Houston on Friday after yielding a run and four hits in five innings of a game the Rangers eventually lost. The 25-year-old is 0-3 with a 13.17 ERA in his three home starts.

WALK-OFFS

1. Rangers CF Leonys Martin was 4-for-6 on Tuesday after going 1-for-18 in his previous six games.

2. Tampa Bay owns a 1.81 ERA through the first eight games of the road trip.

3. Rays 1B James Loney is 2-for-22 over a five-game stretch.

PREDICTION: Rays 5, Rangers 4