The Tampa Bay Rays (44-41), losers of eight of their last 11 games on the road, look to notch a victory on Sunday and head to the All-Star break on a positive note. Their opponent Sunday at Progressive Field, the Cleveland Indians (44-40), will be looking for their fifth win in their past six games.
James Shields (8-5, 4.11 ERA) will take the mound for the Rays. Shields has struggled of late, and will be looking to win consecutive starts for the first time since early May. The right-hander has pitched at least six innings in 14 of his 17 starts this season. Despite a 3.83 career ERA against the Indians, Shields has lost five of six decisions to Cleveland.
The Indians will hand the ball to rookie right-hander Zach McAllister (3-1, 3.93 ERA). In his last three starts, McAllister has walked only one and struck out 14 in 18 innings pitched. Cleveland is 5-1 in games started by the rookie this year.
Read more about the Rays at DRaysBay. For more in-depth coverage on the other side, visit Indians blog Let's Go Tribe. Go to Baseball Nation for additional news and notes around the league. Also, be sure to subscribe to the SB Nation Youtube Channel for video commentary.