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Rays-Astros Preview

May 21, 2010 - 4:18 AM By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN STATS Senior Writer

Tampa Bay (29-11) at Houston (14-26), 8:05 p.m. EDT

The last time Carl Crawford came to Houston with Tampa Bay, he was in his first full season and playing for a club headed for a sixth straight last-place finish as it was swept by the Astros.

Seven years later, he's headed back to his hometown with baseball's best team.

Crawford and the Rays look to match a season high with their seventh straight victory when they open a three-game series against the Astros on Friday night.

Tampa Bay (30-11) improved baseball's best road record to 17-4 by sweeping two games against the Yankees to start this trip, winning 10-6 on Wednesday and 8-6 on Thursday. The Rays increased their AL East lead over second-place New York to five games.

Crawford had three hits in eight at-bats against the Yankees and is batting .375 in his last eight games.

The left fielder went 1 for 8 in Tampa Bay's trip to Minute Maid Park from June 6-8, 2003. He was also hitless in two at-bats in Houston in the 2004 All-Star game.

This series appears to be a mismatch. Tampa Bay has the AL's best ERA at 2.83 while NL-worst Houston (14-27) has scored the fewest runs in the majors with 122.

"Just a couple of years ago they were in the World Series, so you know they have a great team," slugger Lance Berkman told the Astros' official website.

The Rays have posted four straight double-digit efforts in hits for the first time. Tampa Bay had a season-high four homers Thursday, two by Carlos Pena.

"Their starting pitching has been outstanding. They have power. They have speed, they are an outstanding team," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said.

Tampa Bay went 13-5 in interleague play last year for the third-best record in the majors and batted .300 for the best mark.

The Rays will look for another strong effort from Matt Garza (5-1, 2.38), who's 3-0 with a 1.99 ERA in four road outings. Garza allowed one run over six innings Sunday and did not get a decision in a 2-1 home win over Seattle.

The right-hander is 3-2 with a 3.80 ERA in seven interleague starts, allowing four runs in six innings in a 4-3 home loss to Houston on June 20, 2008.

The Astros have lost six of seven and were shut out for the sixth time Thursday night, losing 4-0 to Colorado. They went 6-9 in interleague play last year.

Houston has won three of four home games started by Brett Myers (2-3, 3.67), who is 1-0 with a 4.15 ERA in those contests. The right-hander pitched a five-hitter Sunday in a 4-3 loss at San Francisco.

Myers has never faced the Rays in the regular season. He gave up four runs over seven innings in a 4-2 loss with Philadelphia in Game 2 of the 2008 World Series.