Athletics @ Rays

Who will WIN this matchup?

Oakland Athletics (33-33)

@ Tampa Bay Rays (40-24)

Starting Pitchers:

Anderson (OAK): 0-0; 0.00 ERA (first major league start)

Morton (TB) 7-0; 2.30 ERA

Last 10 Games Played:

Oakland Athletics: 4-6

Tampa Bay Rays: 5-5

Current odds:

Oakland Athletics: (+175)

Tampa Bay Rays: (-195)

• Veteran right-hander Charlie Morton is on the roll of his career, posting a 10-0 mark with a 2.86 ERA during his last 20 starts dating back to last season. Morton, who last lost on Aug. 11, aims to continue his dominance on Monday as the Tampa Bay Rays open a three-game series against the visiting Oakland Athletics. Brandon Lowe belted a pair of his team’s four solo homers to go along with an RBI single on Sunday as Tampa Bay collected its fifth win in six outings with a 6-1 romp over Boston. The 24-year-old is 7-for-13 with five RBIs in his last three contests for the Rays (40-24), who moved to a season high-tying 16 games over .500.

• Marcus Semien ripped a two-run double and scored on a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning to stake Oakland to an eight-run lead before the club held on for a 9-8 win over Texas. Semien is 12-for-26 with two home runs, nine RBIs and seven runs in the last six games overall and is 3-for-8 with a pair of doubles in his career versus Morton.

• Anderson will make his first major-league start on Monday after recording six relief appearances with Pittsburgh last season. The 26-year-old Harvard graduate was acquired from the Pirates in November and posted a 4-4 mark with a 6.26 ERA in 11 appearances (10 starts) at Triple-A Las Vegas. Anderson’s time with the Athletics is expected to be short, as the club has an off-day on Thursday and won’t need more than a four-man rotation until June 18.

• Morton won his third straight start after scattering five hits and striking out eight in a 4-0 victory at Detroit on Wednesday. The 35-year-old worked a season-high seven innings in back-to-back starts, although he exited his last outing against the Tigers despite tossing just 83 pitches. Matt Chapman (2-for-11) and Khris Davis (3-for-16, two homers) have struggled against Morton, who sports a 1-1 mark with a 4.15 ERA in five career starts versus Oakland.

• Oakland CF Ramon Laureano has reached base in a majors-best 28 straight games.

• Tampa Bay 3B Yandy Diaz is 11-for-26 with four runs scored in his last six contests.

• Athletics RF Stephen Piscotty had a pair of hits on Sunday after going 2-for-25 in his previous six games.