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Rays-Marlins Preview

Jun 19, 2010 - 5:01 AM By MATT BECKER STATS Senior Writer

Tampa Bay (41-25) at Florida (31-35), 7:10 p.m. EDT

The Tampa Bay Rays had little trouble in interleague play last year, but that's not been the case this season.

The Rays look to avoid a season-high fourth straight loss - all to NL teams - Saturday night when they continue a three-game series against the Florida Marlins at Sun Life Stadium.

Tampa Bay (41-26) has dropped six of eight in a stretch that includes five losses in seven games to NL opponents. The Rays, who lost two of three to the Marlins (32-35) at home last weekend, are 4-6 against the NL after owning the majors' third-best interleague record a year ago at 13-5.

The Rays dropped Friday's opener of the Citrus Series 7-4 for their third straight defeat. Tampa Bay, which has lost three in a row in other instances this year, remained tied for first in the AL East with the Yankees. The Rays haven't been out of the top spot in the division since they were 11-4 and a half-game back of New York on April 21.

Evan Longoria has been in the thick of Tampa Bay's struggles against the NL, batting .176 with a homer and five RBIs in nine interleague games. He is hitting .329 with 11 home runs and 46 RBIs in 57 games against the AL.

Matt Garza was knocked around by the Marlins on Friday, allowing seven runs in a career-low 1 1-3 innings, and scheduled starter Jeff Niemann, who will oppose Chris Volstad for the second time in as many starts, had similar problems against Florida last weekend.

Niemann (6-1, 2.83 ERA) and Volstad were heading in opposite directions when they met in St. Petersburg on Sunday, and Volstad (4-6, 4.25) managed to break out of his funk to earn the victory in a 6-1 win for the Marlins.

Volstad allowed one run, four hits and four walks over six innings to earn his first win since beating Washington on May 7. The right-hander was 0-4 with a 4.91 ERA in his previous six outings with Florida losing each time.

The Rays entered Sunday's game winners in 10 of 12 with Niemann on the mound, but the right-hander was saddled with his first defeat of the season.

Niemann allowed five runs and nine hits in six innings after going 5-0 with a 2.31 ERA in his previous seven outings - all wins for Tampa Bay.

Seven different Florida players got hits off Niemann last week with Jorge Cantu and Wes Helms both homering and Mike Stanton singling twice in as many at-bats.

Stanton hit a grand slam Friday for his first major league home run in his 32nd at-bat.

"About time," said Stanton, who hit 21 home runs in 52 games in Double-A.

The highly touted rookie also singled Friday, and is 6 for 13 with eight RBIs in four games against the Rays, compared to 3 for 22 with no RBIs in his other six contests.