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Rays, Padres open set at the Trop

May 10, 2013 - 2:36 PM (Sports Network) - Tampa Bay righty Alex Cobb can stay unbeaten for the season at home when the Rays host the San Diego Padres on Friday night in the opener of a three-game interleague series at Tropicana Field.

A 25-year-old from Boston, Cobb has won all three of his starts in Florida this spring, defeating Cleveland, Oakland and the New York Yankees while allowing just three runs on 17 hits in 23 innings.

The former fourth-round draft pick debuted with the Rays with nine starts in 2011, then won 11 times in 20 decisions last season while posting a 4.03 earned run average across 136 1/3 innings.

He's 10-7 with a 3.23 ERA in 20 career starts at home, compared to an 8-6 mark and a 4.15 ERA in 18 road starts.

Cobb has never faced the Padres.

He's opposed by Dominican righty Edinson Volquez, who's won three straight starts after beginning the season with three losses and a no-decision.

The 29-year-old ended the skid with a 2-1 win over Milwaukee on April 24, and has subsequently topped the Chicago Cubs and Arizona while allowing five runs on 11 hits in 12 1/3 innings.

Volquez won 17 games for the Cincinnati Reds in his initial season after being acquired from Texas for outfielder Josh Hamilton. He struggled with injuries and ineffectiveness afterward, however, and was just 13-12 for the Reds in three subsequent years before a trade to the Padres for starter Mat Latos.

In his initial full year in San Diego, Volquez was 11-11 in 32 starts with a 4.14 ERA.

He defeated the Rays in his lone career meeting with them.

On Thursday at Tampa Bay, Luke Scott drew a bases-loaded walk to force in the winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning, and the Rays salvaged a split in a four-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays with a 5-4 victory.

Toronto reliever Aaron Loup (1-3) retired the first two batters in the 10th before Evan Longoria doubled. Longoria nearly scored the go-ahead run two innings earlier, but was thrown out at home on a Scott single.

After intentionally walking James Loney, Loup was replaced by Brad Lincoln, who issued a free pass to Ryan Roberts that loaded the bases.

Scott quickly fell behind 0-2 in the count before working the decisive walk.

On Wednesday in San Diego, Jason Marquis tossed an eight-inning gem and the Padres eked out a 1-0 win to earn their second shutout in a three-game sweep of the Miami Marlins at Petco Park.

By forcing 13 groundball outs and allowing just two hits over his final five innings of work, Marquis (4-2) won his third straight decision, with the help of a sacrifice fly from Yonder Alonso. The Padres had just four hits.

Huston Street struck out a pair in the ninth to record his eighth save of the season and preserve the Padres' fourth win in a row and 11th in 14 games.

The teams have split 12 games across four interleague series since 2002. San Diego won two of three the last time they met, at Tampa Bay, in 2010.