Tampa Bay @ Oakland preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 22, 2010 ) Tampa Bay 3, Oakland 2

THE STORY: The Tampa Bay Rays continue their 10-game road trip Monday when they take on the Oakland Athletics in the opener of their four-game series. Tampa Bay salvaged the finale of its set in Kansas City on Sunday but still fell to 1-5-1 in its last seven series. The Rays, who have lost eight of their last 12 games, are 18-43 all-time at Oakland. The Athletics fell short in their comeback attempt against New York's Mariano Rivera on Sunday and went on to lose their record 10th straight series against the Yankees. Oakland, however, has won four of its last five games at home.

TV: 10:05 p.m. ET, Sun Sports (Tampa Bay), CSN California (Oakland)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Jeremy Hellickson (9-7, 3.17 ERA) vs. Athletics RH Guillermo Moscoso (3-5, 2.96 ERA).

Hellickson is seeking his third straight win after limiting the New York Yankees to two runs over seven innings Tuesday. The 24-year-old has worked at least six innings in nine of his last 11 starts and allowed three earned runs or fewer in 10 of those. Hellickson is looking to join Rolando Arrojo (1998) as the only Rays rookies to notch 10 victories by the end of July. Moscoso was tagged for seven runs - six earned - over 4 2/3 innings in a loss at Detroit on Tuesday after yielding a total of one earned run over his previous four starts. The 27-year old Venezuelan has won just one of his last seven outings but has surrendered more than two earned runs only twice in that span. Moscoso, who is 2-1 with a 1.99 ERA in four home starts this year, will be making his first career appearance against Tampa Bay.

ABOUT THE ATHLETICS (44-57): Despite recording a season high-tying 15 hits Sunday, the 7-5 loss was Oakland's 12th in 13 games with New York and 26th in its last 33 overall road contests. After going 0-for-3 in the series opener against his former team, Hideki Matsui was 7-for-10 with three runs, a homer and two RBIs over the final two games, including his second career five-hit performance Sunday. Shortstop Cliff Pennington's error was Oakland's 79th. The club entered the day tied with Texas for the most miscues in the American League.

ABOUT THE RAYS (53-47): After going 2-for-3 with two runs, an RBI and a stolen base in his season debut Saturday, outfielder Desmond Jennings added two hits and a steal Sunday. Jennings, who went 4-for-21 in his first taste of the majors last year, ripped three of his four hits over the weekend for extra bases. Tampa Bay is 9 1/2 games behind first-place Boston in the AL East, its largest deficit since the final day of the 2009 season.

FINAL PITCH: Tampa Bay's Johnny Damon continues to climb the all-time doubles list. Damon is even with Roberto Alomar for 49th place with 504 and will surpass both Tony Perez (505) and Babe Ruth (506) with three more two-base hits.