Texas @ Tampa Bay preview
Tropicana Field
Last Meeting ( Aug 29, 2012 ) Tampa Bay 8, Texas 4
Adrian Beltre may soon be reaching for his pipe and slippers because he is making himself at home during the Texas Rangers' extended road trip. After belting his fifth homer in seven contests to help the Rangers take three of four from Kansas City, Beltre will look to keep Texas rolling in the right direction on Friday when it opens a three-game set at the Tampa Bay Rays. Beltre is 14-for-30 with eight RBIs for the Rangers, who improved to 5-2 on their 10-game road trip and moved 5 1/2 games ahead of second-place Oakland in the American League West. Michael Young provided the final blow with an RBI single in the 10th inning to lift Texas to a 5-4 triumph on Thursday.
Tampa Bay saw its four-game winning streak come to an end after Elliot Johnson's miscues in the field contributed to a 6-4 loss to New York on Wednesday. The Rays sit two games behind Baltimore and the Yankees in the AL East and 1 1/2 back of Oakland for the second wild card. Although three-game series versus the Orioles and Yankees are on the horizon next week, manager Joe Maddon's club can not afford to look past this three-game set with Texas.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, KXTA (Texas), SUN (Tampa Bay)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rangers LH Derek Holland (10-6, 4.79 ERA) vs. Rays RH Jeremy Hellickson (8-10, 3.41)
Holland won his third consecutive start Sunday after allowing two runs over seven solid innings in an 8-3 victory over Cleveland. The 25-year-old secured the win against Tampa Bay on Aug. 27 despite yielding five runs in six innings. Holland also surrendered five runs to the Rays during a 5-2 loss on April 29.
Hellickson suffered his fourth loss in six starts despite allowing two solo homers in an eventual 2-1 loss to Toronto on Aug. 31. The 25-year-old has been torched for four homers in his last two starts after yielding just two in his previous seven outings. Hellickson dropped his lone career decision to the Rangers, although he hasn't faced them this season.
WALK-OFFS
1. Tampa Bay 3B Evan Longoria, who has six hits and five RBIs in his last four games, is 8-for-19 with two homers and six RBIs in his career versus Holland.
2. While Beltre's blasts are all the rage, Josh Hamilton isn't being left out. The tattooed slugger belted his major league-leading 39th homer - and third in five contests - on Thursday.
3. The Rays are expected to call up RHP Chris Archer, who will serve as a potential spot starter. Tampa Bay is dealing with the loss of RHP Jeff Niemann (shoulder) while also trying to limit the innings of RHP Alex Cobb.