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Rangers-Rays Preview

Aug 22, 2009 - 4:52 AM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

Texas (68-52) at Tampa Bay (65-55), 7:08 p.m. EDT

The Tampa Bay Rays are playing like a team focused on reaching the top of the wild-card standings. In order to get there, they're going to have to overtake the Texas Rangers.

The surging Rays look for a second straight victory over the Rangers in the continuation of this key three-game series Saturday night at Tropicana Field.

Ben Zobrist and Carlos Pena homered on consecutive pitches to help Tampa Bay (66-55) beat Texas 5-3 in Friday's series opener. The result not only snapped a three-game losing streak against the Rangers, but moved the Rays within three games of wild-card leading Boston, and two behind second-place Texas.

"To get that first one (a win in the initial game of the series) is huge and gives us a little momentum," Friday's winning pitcher Scott Kazmir said of the Rays, who've won five of six since losing five in a row.

Zobrist has homered in three straight games while padding his career high with his 22nd home run to break a tie with Jose Cruz Jr. (2004) for the most by a Rays switch-hitter. Zobrist has seven RBIs in his last three games and recorded two hits Friday after going 0 for 12 in the three previous games against Texas this season.

Pena's 32nd homer is his only hit in 11 at-bats this season versus the Rangers (68-53), who turn to rookie Tommy Hunter to help them avoid a fourth loss in five games.

While Hunter (6-2, 2.64 ERA) tries to win his fourth straight start, he'll likely need to pitch better than he did in his last outing Monday, when he allowed four runs and walked three while throwing 101 pitches in 5 2-3 innings of an 8-5 win over Minnesota.

"He hung out there and fought like the warrior that he is," Rangers manager Ron Washington said.

In his only appearance against Tampa Bay, the 23-year-old right-hander gave up one run in 5 1-3 innings to earn the win in a 3-1 victory over the Rays on July 3.

Tampa Bay counters with Matt Garza (7-8, 3.73), who gave up one run and struck out seven in five innings, but didn't receive a decision in a 5-2 win over Toronto on Sunday.

"I'm just disappointed that I only went five. I'm a better pitcher than that," Garza told the Rays' official Web site. "It's just the way it is."

Though Garza is 3-2 with a 3.06 ERA in five starts against the Rangers, the right-hander hopes for a better outing after allowing five runs in five innings to take the loss in the Rays' 5-2 defeat at Texas on July 5.

Michael Young is 2 for 13 against Garza, but 6 for 14 this season versus the Rays after recording three of Texas' six hits in Friday's loss.

Marlon Byrd drove in a run Friday to give him 12 RBIs in his last 12 contests for the Rangers, who are 20-14 since the All-Star break despite their recent rough stretch.