Red Sox host Tampa Bay Rays, look to stop home losing streak

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Tampa Bay Rays (25-12, second in the AL East) vs. Boston Red Sox (16-22, fifth in the AL East)

Boston; Friday, 7:10 p.m. EDT

PITCHING PROBABLES: Rays: Jesse Scholtens (3-1, 3.18 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 17 strikeouts); Red Sox: Connelly Early (2-2, 3.79 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 31 strikeouts)

LINE: Red Sox -143, Rays +121; over/under is 8 1/2 runs

BOTTOM LINE: The Boston Red Sox look to break their three-game home losing streak with a win over the Tampa Bay Rays.

Boston has a 16-22 record overall and a 6-11 record at home. The Red Sox have an 11-4 record in games when they scored five or more runs.

Tampa Bay is 11-8 on the road and 25-12 overall. Rays pitchers have a collective 3.54 ERA, which ranks second in the AL.

The teams meet Friday for the second time this season.

TOP PERFORMERS: Willson Contreras has four doubles, eight home runs and 23 RBIs while hitting .263 for the Red Sox. Ceddanne Rafaela is 11 for 39 with a double, a triple and a home run over the last 10 games.

Junior Caminero leads the Rays with 10 home runs while slugging .496. Yandy Diaz is 10 for 35 with two home runs and five RBIs over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Red Sox: 5-5, .247 batting average, 3.34 ERA, even run differential

Rays: 9-1, .255 batting average, 1.30 ERA, outscored opponents by 20 runs

INJURIES: Red Sox: Roman Anthony: 10-Day IL (wrist), Danny Coulombe: 15-Day IL (cervical spasms), Patrick Sandoval: 60-Day IL (elbow), Ranger Suarez: day-to-day (hamstring), Justin Slaten: 15-Day IL (oblique), Garrett Crochet: 15-Day IL (shoulder), Kutter Crawford: 15-Day IL (wrist), Triston Casas: 60-Day IL (knee), Johan Oviedo: 60-Day IL (elbow), Romy Gonzalez: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Tanner Houck: 60-Day IL (elbow)

Rays: Joe Boyle: 15-Day IL (elbow), Mason Englert: 15-Day IL (forearm), Steven Matz: 15-Day IL (elbow), Gavin Lux: 10-Day IL (shoulder), Ryan Pepiot: 60-Day IL (hip), Edwin Uceta: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Steven Wilson: 60-Day IL (back), Manuel Rodriguez: 60-Day IL (elbow), Michael Grove: 60-Day IL (shoulder)

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