Cincinnati @ Tampa Bay preview

Last Meeting ( Mar 29, 2009 ) Tampa Bay 11, Cincinnati 2

THE STORY: The Tampa Bay Rays have survived a stretch of 30 road games in 47 outings just fine. The Rays now take major leagues’ best interleague record (9-3) into a six-game home stand against a team they have never beaten. Jeremy Hellickson goes to the mound for the Rays in the first of a three-game series against Mike Leake and the struggling Cincinnati Reds. Cincinnati has won all six previous games, sweeping three-game sets in 2003 and 2005. The Rays have won four straight and eight of their last nine games after scoring 41 runs on a six-game road trip. The Reds have lost six of their last nine and are 3-9 in interleague games.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, SunSports, FS-OH.

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Jeremy Hellickson (7-6, 3.09 ERA) vs. Reds RH Mike Leake (6-4, 4.19 ERA).

Hellickson has lost three straight games, getting a total of one run of support. He allowed 10 runs in 18 2/3 innings over those three games. He has given the Rays a chance to win his last two starts, giving up three runs against Boston in seven innings and two against Milwaukee over six innings. The Milwaukee game was his first interleague contest. Hellickson has 57 strikeouts and 37 walks.

Leake has lost his last two starts after winning three straight. He allowed five hits and four runs over six innings in a loss to the Yankees last Wednesday. Leake has 55 strikeouts and 19 walks in 77 1/3 innings. He has never faced Tampa Bay, and is 0-2 in interleague play.

ABOUT THE RAYS (44-34): Tampa Bay can only hope Evan Longoria and B.J. Upton continue their torrid streaks. Longoria belted three homers and had 10 RBIs in the three-game sweep at Houston while Upton homered in each game and knocked in seven runs. Upton has 10 RBIs in his last six games. Longoria was 8-for-14 in Houston. Johnny Damon had his first four-hit game for Tampa Bay on Sunday, pushing his total to 2,651 in his career – tied with Lave Cross for 71st and three short of Ted Williams on the all-time list.

ABOUT THE REDS (40-39): Cincinnati was a season-high eight games over .500 in mid-May, but has slowly faded since. The Reds have lost the last three series, leaving 14 on base and going 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position in Sunday’s loss at Baltimore. Slugger Jay Bruce, who missed the last game with an illness and is questionable for Monday, is batting .225 in June and hasn’t homered since June 1. Brandon Phillips has been hot, going 12-for-27 with five RBIs the last six games. Reds outfielder Jonny Gomes makes his first appearance at Tropicana Field since leaving the Rays after the 2008 season.

FINAL PITCH: The Rays’ pitchers were without a hit in interleague play until Sunday, but Jeff Niemann and Wade Davis each had their first career hit in the 14-10 victory at Houston. Davis’ came in the ninth as a pinch hitter. It was the first time two Rays pitchers had a hit in a game in franchise history.