Tampa Bay @ Houston preview

Last Meeting ( Mar 24, 2011 ) Tampa Bay 11, Houston 3

THE STORY: The Tampa Bay Rays have won five of six games and hope to continue their winning ways against the struggling Houston Astros. The opener of the three-game, interleague series Friday in Houston will be a matchup of two of the hottest pitchers in baseball. The Rays send potential All-Star game starter James Shields to the mound against Wandy Rodriguez. Tampa Bay won two of the three games at Houston last season and is 6-3 in interleague play in 2011. Houston is 5-14 in its last 19 games, after a ninth-inning rally Wednesday salvaged one of three at Texas. The Astros are 3-3 in interleague play.

TV: 8:05 p.m. ET, FS-HOU, SunSports

PITCHING MATCHUP: Astros LH Wandy Rodriguez (5-3, 2.88 ERA) vs. Rays RH James Shields (7-4, 2.40 ERA)

Rodriguez has won four straight decisions and allowed no runs in three of his last four starts. He has 64 strikeouts and 21 walks in 2011. Rodriguez is 39-27 at home and 28-40 on the road in his career. He is 0-1 in two starts against the Rays with a 3.86 ERA in 11 2/3 innings. He is 7-9 in interleague games.

Shields is coming off two straight complete-game victories, where he allowed just nine hits and one unearned run. He has 108 strikeouts and 27 walks in 112 2/3 innings overall. Shields is 8-6 in interleague play, but has never faced the Astros. Carlos Lee has faced Shields twice and has two hits.

ABOUT THE ASTROS (28-48): Hunter Pence, out since June 17 with a sprained left elbow, is expected back Friday. Pence, batting .321 with nine homers and 51 RBIs, will help a team struggling in the middle of the lineup. Lee is 2-for-16 the last four games and Brett Wallace 0-for-19 the past five games. Michael Bourn has done a good job setting the tables, going 10-for-28 with four RBIs and four stolen bases the last seven games. But the biggest problem for the Astros has been pitching. They are among the league worst in ERA (4.49) and are by far the worst in blown saves (15).

ABOUT THE RAYS (41-34): Different players seem to be stepping up each game for the Rays during their current upswing, because the big bats have been cold. Johnny Damon is 0-for-11 the last four games and Matt Joyce is 8-for-58 with a homer and six RBIs in June, striking out 15 times. Evan Longoria is 12-for-64 in June with two home runs and 11 RBIs. Longoria has four RBIs in the last 10 games -- all in the same game. Ben Zobrist has picked it up, going 7-for-22 the last six games, and catcher Kelly Shoppach is 8-for-21 with two homers and six RBIs the last eight games to raise his average to .194.

FINAL PITCH: One big reason for the difference in the records between these two teams is defense. Only Oakland (61) has committed more errors than Houston (60). Tampa Bay has made 35 errors, second lowest through Wednesday’s games behind Philadelphia (33).