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Rays, Rangers to wrap up set with matinee

Jun 1, 2011 - 2:41 PM (Sports Network) - The Tampa Bay Rays aim for a series win over the Texas Rangers when the two American League powerhouses collide this afternoon in the finale of a three-game series from Tropicana Field.

Evan Longoria, back in the cleanup spot after a stint batting leadoff, put the Rays ahead for good with a two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning in last night's 5-4 win. Sean Rodriguez and Matt Joyce also went deep for the Rays, who have alternated wins and losses over their last six games and sit 1 1/2 games behind New York for the AL East lead.

Johnny Damon posted a hit and a run scored for Tampa Bay and has hit safely in his last 25 games. The longest streak of his career is 31 games, set during the 2000 campaign as a member of Kansas City.

Tampa Bay's Alex Cobb, making his second big league start, allowed three runs on four hits, walked four and struck out as many in 6 1/3 innings for the no- decision.

"I fell behind a lot of counts," Cobb said. "I had to work myself out of some jams, but overall I felt pretty good."

Joel Peralta picked up the win despite allowing a run to score on a wild pitch in the top of the eighth inning, while Kyle Farnsworth threw a perfect ninth to register his 10th save of the season.

Tampa Bay, which will hit the road for 11 games against the Mariners, Angels, Orioles and Tigers after today's tilt, is set to send ace David Price to the mound Wednesday. Price is 6-4 with a 3.54 earned run average in 11 starts this season and 3-1 over his last four decisions, having defeated Cleveland his last time out with seven shutout innings in a 5-0 win on Friday.

Price struck out a season-high 12 batters against the Indians and is aiming for his first-ever win over the Rangers. In four career starts in this series, the left-hander is 0-2 with a less desirable 7.45 ERA. Price also lost to the Rangers twice in last year's ALDS.

Texas entered last night's middle test of this set having won three straight and six of eight games, but reliever Arthur Rhodes served up Longoria's home run in the eighth inning to absorb the loss.

"I just threw a changeup and left it up," Rhodes said on the club's website. "I was trying to get him to pop it up or roll it over."

C.J. Wilson started for the Rangers and was reached for three runs and three hits with 10 strikeouts over 6 2/3 innings. Michael Young, Adrian Beltre and Ian Kinsler all drove in runs for Texas, which is 1-1 on a seven-game trek and will also visit Cleveland for four games.

Colby Lewis aims to pitch the defending American League champions to a series win this afternoon and is 4-5 with a 3.90 ERA through 10 starts. He is 0-1 in two trips to the hill since a personal two-game win streak and did not record a decision in Texas' 12-7 loss to Kansas City on Friday, in which he gave up six runs, four of which were earned, and seven hits in six innings.

Lewis, a right-hander, has fared well in his career against Tampa Bay, having gone 2-0 despite a not-so-stellar 7.71 ERA in three games (2 starts).

Tampa Bay won four of its six meetings with the Rangers last season.