Tampa Bay @ Houston preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 25, 2011 ) Tampa Bay 7, Houston 2

THE STORY: The Tampa Bay Rays are enjoying interleague play. With seven wins in their last eight games against the National League, the visiting Rays will send Jeff Niemann to the mound Sunday afternoon to try to complete a three-game sweep of the struggling Houston Astros. The Rays are nine games above .500 for the first time this season and have climbed within two games of first place in the American League East. Tampa Bay, which will head home for six more interleague games after Sunday, is 4-1 on its road trip. Houston, which has lost 16 of its last 21, is the first team in the majors to reach 50 losses.

TV: 2:05 p.m. ET, Fox Sports Houston, SunSports (Tampa Bay)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Astros LH J.A. Happ (3-9, 6.33 ERA) vs. Rays RH Jeff Niemann (2-4, 4.82). Happ allowed seven runs - five earned - in 2 2/3 innings in his last start against Texas on June 20. He has not won since May 14 and has 69 strikeouts in 82 2/3 innings. Happ, who has never pitched against Tampa Bay, is 1-1 in interleague play. Casey Kotchman is 3-for-7 with a home run against Happ. Niemann, who is from Houston, gave up only four hits over six shutout innings in his first start off the disabled list to beat Milwaukee on Monday. He had not pitched since May 4 because of a back injury. Niemann is 3-2 in interleague play, including a victory over Houston in 2010 when he allowed two runs in seven innings.

ABOUT THE ASTROS (28-50): Jeff Keppinger, who had his 10-game hitting streak snapped Friday, was back at it with a pair of hits the next day. Keppinger is 18-for-51 in the last 12 games to give the Astros a solid trio at the top order with Michael Bourn and Hunter Pence. Clean-up hitter Carlos Lee showed signs of life with two hits, including a ringing RBI double Saturday. The Astros just aren’t getting it done in key spots. They have left 10 on base, hit into four double plays (three Saturday) and are 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position in the series.

ABOUT THE RAYS (43-34): The Rays have been waiting for Evan Longoria to put together a hot stretch and he might be getting warm. The All-Star third baseman is 6-for-21, but has nine RBIs and five runs scored in the last five games. If B.J. Upton can keep it going, the Rays' offense would be even more dangerous. Upton is 10-for-33 in the last nine games and has six RBIs in the last five to raise his average to .224. Kotchman, who started the season in the minors, has been the most consistent Rays’ hitter. He is 11-for-28 in the last seven games and leads the team with a .342 batting average.

FINAL PITCH: Rays reliever Kyle Farnsworth registered a five-out save Saturday for the first time since 2005. Farnsworth has showed a little fatigue of late, allowing four runs in his last 6 2/3 innings, but has two saves in that stretch. He only has one blown save and one loss, and a 2.05 ERA.