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Rolling Rays welcome Reds to Tropicana Field

Jun 27, 2011 - 2:32 PM (Sports Network) - Jeremy Hellickson tries to keep the Tampa Bay Rays rolling this evening when they begin a three-game interleague series against the Cincinnati Reds at Tropicana Field.

The Rays won for the eighth time in nine games and moved a season-best 10 games over .500 on Sunday, as Evan Longoria hit a pair of homers and drove in five runs to help Tampa Bay complete a sweep of the Houston Astros in a wild 14-10 win.

Longoria went 4-for-6 with three runs scored in a game that featured 18 extra- base hits, 84 official at-bats and 11 pitchers.

"It was back and forth," Longoria said. "I don't know if there's really a word for it. These are the kind of games we need to win."

B.J. Upton hit a three-run homer and drove in four runs for the Rays, who went 5-1 on a six-game road trip. Upton homered in every game of the series.

J.P. Howell (1-1) got the win despite giving up a solo homer in one inning of work.

Hellickson, meanwhile, could use some of that run support as the Rays have crossed the plate a total of just one time in the rookie's last three starts, all losses. Hellickson's latest loss came on Tuesday in Milwaukee, as he allowed two runs and three hits in six innings, dropping him to 7-6 to go along with a 3.09 ERA.

This will be his first-ever appearance against the Reds, who enter tonight's opener on the heels of dropping two of three to the Baltimore Orioles over the weekend. Cincinnati lost Sunday's rubber match at Camden Yards, falling 7-5.

Brandon Phillips and Ramon Hernandez hit solo home runs for the Reds, who have lost six of their last nine and have fallen four games back in the National League Central.

Homer Bailey (3-2) came off the disabled list after a month and worked five innings in defeat for the Reds, giving up five runs on nine hits while striking out five and walking a pair of batters.

Tonight the Reds turn to righty Mike Leake, who is 6-4 with a 4.19 ERA. Leake lost his second straight start on Wednesday against the New York Yankees, as he allowed four runs and five hits in six innings.

Leake has never faced the Rays.

These teams haven't met since Cincinnati swept a three-game set from the Rays in 2005 in the Queen City. In fact the Reds have won all six of their meetings with the Rays.