Rangers take 9-game slide into matchup with Rays

Updated Jun. 4, 2021 3:20 a.m. ET

Associated Press

Tampa Bay Rays (36-22, first in the AL East) vs. Texas Rangers (22-36, fifth in the AL West)

Arlington, Texas; Friday, 8:05 p.m. EDT

PITCHING PROBABLES: Rays: Josh Fleming (5-3, 2.98 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 28 strikeouts) Rangers: Kyle Gibson (3-0, 2.24 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 48 strikeouts)

BOTTOM LINE: Texas enters the game as losers of their last nine games.

The Rangers are 13-13 on their home turf. Texas is averaging 3.8 RBIs per game this season. Adolis Garcia leads the team with 41 total runs batted in.

The Rays are 21-9 in road games. The Tampa Bay pitching staff as a whole has an ERA of 3.44. Tyler Glasnow leads the team with a 2.69 earned run average.

The Rangers won the last meeting 6-4. Josh Sborz notched his first victory and Nick Solak went 3-for-5 with a home run and two RBIs for Texas. Cody Reed registered his first loss for Tampa Bay.

TOP PERFORMERS: Garcia leads the Rangers with 20 extra base hits and is batting .283.

Austin Meadows leads the Rays with 14 home runs and is batting .244.

LAST 10 GAMES: Rangers: 1-9, .187 batting average, 5.87 ERA, outscored by 24 runs

Rays: 7-3, .198 batting average, 2.59 ERA, outscored opponents by 23 runs

INJURIES: Rangers: Hunter Wood: (elbow), Jose Leclerc: (elbow), Jonathan Hernandez: (elbow), Kyle Gibson: (groin), Kyle Cody: (right shoulder), Matt Bush: (elbow), Kohei Arihara: (finger), David Dahl: (rib), Ronald Guzman: (knee), Sam Huff: (hamstring).

Rays: Chaz Roe: (shoulder), Cody Reed: (thumb), Colin Poche: (elbow), Oliver Drake: (forearm), Yonny Chirinos: (elbow), Jalen Beeks: (elbow), Chris Archer: (forearm), Nick Anderson: (elbow), Ji-Man Choi: (groin).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.