Tampa Bay @ Boston preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 25, 2012 ) Tampa Bay 5, Boston 2

Time is running out on the surging Tampa Bay Rays, who remain three games behind Oakland for the second American League wild card with only eight left in the regular season. The Rays will be seeking their seventh consecutive win and a sweep of their two-game set with the host Boston Red Sox on Wednesday night. Tampa Bay also trails the Los Angeles Angels by one game and is 3 1/2 back of wild card leader Baltimore, a team it will host for the final three games.

The Rays have beaten Boston four straight times and can split the 18-game season series with a victory Wednesday. The Red Sox have dropped five of six entering their final home game of the year. They must win four of their last seven games to avoid their 90-loss season since 1966. Center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury could return to the lineup after sitting out five games with an undisclosed injury.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, SUN (Tampa Bay), NESN (Boston)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Alex Cobb (9-9, 4.27 ERA) vs. Red Sox LH Jon Lester (9-13, 4.96)

Cobb carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning last time out against Boston, but saw his five-game winning streak snapped despite giving up four runs on only two hits in six-plus innings. He has limited the Red Sox to a .128 batting average over two starts this season, yielding only five hits over 11 innings, but has surrendered seven walks.

Lester's saw his season take another downturn last time out when he lost to Baltimore for the first time in 15 career decisions, giving up four runs on eight hits in seven innings. He was cuffed around by the Rays for seven runs in four innings on May 25 but still owns a 10-7 lifetime record against them. Lester is seeking his fifth straight season with double-digit wins.

WALK-OFFS

1. Rays 2B Jeff Keppinger is 13-for-26 in his last seven to boost his batting average to .331.

2. Red Sox 2B Dustin Pedroia is 7-for-17 during a four-game hitting streak and has three straight two-hit games.

3. Tampa Bay's David Price and James Shields became the seventh set of teammates in major league history to reach 200 strikeouts in back-to-back seasons.