Tampa Bay @ Oakland preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 27, 2011 ) Tampa Bay 4, Oakland 13

THE STORY: The offensive juggernaut known as the Oakland Athletics continues to roll. Oakland pounded out a season-high 17 hits and exploded for nine runs in the fourth inning - also a season best - in a 13-4 drubbing of the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday. The Athletics go for a sweep of the four-game series at the Oakland Coliseum on Thursday afternoon. Tampa Bay's freefall continues; it has lost six of its last seven contests overall and seven of eight on the road.

TV: 3:35 p.m. ET, Sun Sports (Tampa Bay)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Wade Davis (7-7, 4.46 ERA) vs. Athletics RH Rich Harden (2-1, 4.63 ERA).

Davis was tagged for six runs and 11 hits over 5 1/3 innings in a loss at Kansas City on Friday after being activated from the disabled list earlier in the day. The 25-year old, who was sidelined with a strained forearm, missed just one start thanks to the All-Star break. Davis is 1-1 in two career starts against Oakland, allowing seven runs over 10 innings.

Harden will be making his fifth start of 2011 after spending the first three months of the season on the DL with a strained right shoulder. The 29-year old Canadian is coming off a victory at New York on Saturday in which he yielded two runs in 5 1/3 innings. Harden is 3-2 in six career outings against Tampa Bay but has faced the Rays just once since 2006.

ABOUT THE ATHLETICS (47-57): Oakland sent 12 batters to the plate in the fourth and registered a season-best seven hits in the frame. It was the club's most productive inning of the year, topping an eight-run first against Los Angeles on July 17. Oakland has scored four or more runs in a season-high seven consecutive games. The Athletics are 8-4 and hitting .321 since the All-Star break.

ABOUT THE RAYS (53-50):RHP Rob Delaney surrendered three runs in three innings Wednesday after being recalled from Triple-A Durham earlier in the day. It was Delaney's first appearance for the Rays since May 15, when he gave up three runs without retiring a batter against Baltimore. During his three-game stint in May, the 26-year old issued four walks over two innings without giving up a hit. RHP Jay Buente, who was claimed off waivers from Florida in May and made his Rays debut Tuesday, was sent to Durham to make room for Delaney.

FINAL PITCH: Oakland's Hideki Matsui has collected 16 RBIs over his last nine games. His five-RBI effort Wednesday was his best output since plating five runs on Sept. 13, 2009 against Baltimore.