Texas @ Tampa Bay preview
Tropicana Field
Last Meeting ( Sep 8, 2012 ) Texas 4, Tampa Bay 2
Tampa Bay Rays right-hander James Shields has won five of his last six decisions to propel his team into the thick of the wild-card race. The lone setback came at the hands of the Texas Rangers on Aug. 28, although Shields was masterful in striking out eight in seven innings in the 1-0 loss. Shields will look to avenge his hard-luck loss on Sunday when the teams play the rubber match of their three-game series at Tropicana Field.
After the Rays recorded a 3-1 triumph in 11 innings in the series opener, the Rangers answered with a 4-2 decision in 10 frames on Saturday. Rookie Jurickson Profar snapped a tie with an RBI double in the deciding frame and Josh Hamilton belted his major league-leading 40th homer in the triumph. While Texas leads Oakland by 4 1/2 games in the AL West, Tampa Bay sits two behind AL East co-leaders Baltimore and New York.
TV: 1:40 p.m. ET, FSH
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rangers RH Roy Oswalt (4-2, 5.85 ERA) vs. Rays RH James Shields (13-8, 3.88)
With left-hander Matt Harrison being pushed back to Tuesday, Oswalt will make the spot start for the first time in more than two weeks. The 35-year-old has been working out of the bullpen predominantly over the five weeks while trying to regain his form. Oswalt won his lone career outing versus Tampa Bay in 2008 after permitting two runs on seven hits in 7 2/3 innings.
Shields struck out five over eight solid frames in a 4-3 win over the New York Yankees in his last trip to the mound on Monday. Despite his recent setback, the 30-year-old has won six of nine career meetings with the Rangers. Shields has trimmed nearly three-quarters of a run off his ERA over the last six weeks.
WALK-OFFS
1. Rays ace David Price did not report any issues after playing catch for the second straight day. The southpaw missed Saturday's start due to left shoulder soreness.
2. Hamilton has struggled mightily versus Shields, going 3-for-22 with nine strikeouts.
3. Texas C Mike Napoli, who has been nursing a strained left quad for nearly a month, will begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Frisco when it begins its Texas League Championship series on Tuesday.