ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- If the Tampa Bay offense were doing nearly as well as the Rays' pitching staff, the team would be on a roll.
However, the Rays are in an offensive slump as they face the red-hot Boston Red Sox on Wednesday at Tropicana Field.
Rick Porcello (5-14, 4.70 ERA) will try to pitch the Red Sox to their eighth consecutive victory.
Boston (64-49) won the opener of the two-game series 2-0 on Tuesday behind a 13-strikeout performance from Chris Sale. The Red Sox opened a four-game lead over the second-place New York Yankees in the American League East, while the Rays slipped into a three-way tie for the second AL wild card with the Kansas City Royals and the Seattle Mariners.