• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Struggling A's return home to host Rays

May 19, 2008 - 2:10 PM Tampa Bay (25-19) at Oakland (24-21) 10:07 pm EDT

OAKLAND, California (Ticker) - Coming off a miserable road trip, the Oakland Athletics return home to host the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday.

The A's went just 2-7 on their three-city tour, which included a three-game sweep at the hands of the Cleveland Indians. Oakland dropped a 5-2 decision at Atlanta on Sunday, and lost two out of three to the Braves.

Oakland will turn to Joe Blanton (2-6, 3.69 ERA) as they look to get back into the win column.

Despite a string of solid outings, the righthander has lost his last two decisions. Blanton allowed two runs and four hits over seven innings at Cleveland on Wednesday, but suffered the setback in a 2-0 Oakland defeat.

Tampa Bay had won eight of nine before dropping the final two games at St. Louis over the weekend. The Rays blew a 4-2 lead in the eighth inning and lost, 5-4, on Skip Schumaker's walk-off single on Sunday.

James Shields (4-3, 3.05) hopes to put a stop to Tampa Bay's brief slide when he takes the hill for the Rays.

The righthander suffered the loss to New York on Wednesday but only allowed two runs over 7 1/3 innings.

Shields is 2-1 in three career starts against the A's, posting a 4.05 ERA.