Rays visit the Mets to start 3-game series

Tampa Bay Rays (36-32, third in the AL East) vs. New York Mets (45-24, first in the NL East)

New York; Friday, 7:10 p.m. EDT

PITCHING PROBABLES: Rays: Taj Bradley (4-5, 4.58 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 66 strikeouts); Mets: Clay Holmes (7-3, 2.95 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 65 strikeouts)

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Mets -167, Rays +140; over/under is 8 runs

BOTTOM LINE: The New York Mets host the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday to open a three-game series.

New York has gone 27-7 at home and 45-24 overall. The Mets have a 20-5 record in games when they hit at least two home runs.

Tampa Bay has gone 13-12 in road games and 36-32 overall. The Rays have gone 13-4 in games when they hit at least two home runs.

Friday's game is the first time these teams square off this season.

TOP PERFORMERS: Pete Alonso has a .298 batting average to lead the Mets, and has 21 doubles, a triple and 17 home runs. Juan Soto is 13 for 35 with three home runs and seven RBIs over the past 10 games.

Junior Caminero leads the Rays with 30 extra base hits (15 doubles and 15 home runs). Yandy Diaz is 15 for 39 with two doubles, three home runs and eight RBIs over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Mets: 8-2, .260 batting average, 2.67 ERA, outscored opponents by 28 runs

Rays: 6-4, .226 batting average, 3.60 ERA, outscored opponents by five runs

INJURIES: Mets: Kodai Senga: day-to-day (hamstring), Brooks Raley: 60-Day IL (elbow), Mark Vientos: 10-Day IL (hamstring), Jesse Winker: 10-Day IL (side), Danny Young: 60-Day IL (elbow), A.J. Minter: 60-Day IL (lat), Frankie Montas: 60-Day IL (lat), Sean Manaea: 60-Day IL (oblique), Jose Siri: 10-Day IL (shin), Nick Madrigal: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Drew Smith: 60-Day IL (elbow), Christian Scott: 60-Day IL (elbow)

Rays: Manuel Rodriguez: 15-Day IL (forearm), Jonny Deluca: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Ha-Seong Kim: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Hunter Bigge: 15-Day IL (lat), Shane McClanahan: 60-Day IL (tricep), Richie Palacios: 10-Day IL (knee), Alex Faedo: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Nathan Lavender: 60-Day IL (elbow)

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