Texas Rangers (46-37, second in the AL West) vs. Tampa Bay Rays (47-36, second in the AL East)
St. Petersburg, Florida; Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT
PITCHING PROBABLES: Rangers: Jesse Chavez (3-2, 2.79 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 48 strikeouts) Rays: Blake Snell (4-7, 5.01 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 105 strikeouts)
LINE: Rays favored by 1 1/2 runs; over/under is 7 1/2 runs
BOTTOM LINE: Either Texas or Tampa Bay will take home a series victory with a win.
The Rays are 21-19 on their home turf. Tampa Bay hitters have posted a team on-base percentage of .323 this season, led by Tommy Pham with a mark of .385.
The Rangers are 18-22 on the road. Texas is hitting a collective .256 this season, led by Elvis Andrus with an average of .307. The Rays won the last meeting 5-2. Brendan McKay recorded his first victory and Avisail Garcia went 1-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs for Tampa Bay. Adrian Sampson registered his fifth loss for Texas.
TOP PERFORMERS: Pham leads the Rays with 85 hits and has 35 RBIs. Willy Adames is 11-for-35 with two doubles, four home runs and six RBIs over the last 10 games for Tampa Bay.
Shin-Soo Choo leads the Rangers with 34 extra base hits and is slugging .488. Danny Santana is 7-for-24 with a double, four home runs and six RBIs over the last 10 games for Texas.
LAST 10 GAMES: Rays: 4-6, .199 batting average, 4.37 ERA, outscored by 12 runs
Rangers: 7-3, .267 batting average, 3.20 ERA, outscored opponents by eight runs
Rays Injuries: Tyler Glasnow: 60-day IL (forearm), Jose De Leon: 60-day IL (elbow), Diego Castillo: 10-day IL (shoulder), Anthony Banda: 60-day IL (elbow), Daniel Robertson: 10-day IL (knee), Matt Duffy: 60-day IL (back), Christian Arroyo: 10-day IL (forearm), Anthony Bemboom: 60-day IL (knee).
Rangers Injuries: Edinson Volquez: 60-day IL (elbow), Jeffrey Springs: 60-day IL (biceps), Yohander Mendez: 60-day IL (elbow), Taylor Hearn: 60-day IL (elbow), Luke Farrell: 60-day IL (jaw), Kyle Dowdy: 10-day IL (elbow), Hunter Pence: 10-day IL (groin), Scott Heineman: 60-day IL (shoulder), Rougned Odor: day-to-day (leg), Isiah Kiner-Falefa: 10-day IL (finger).
