Mariners @ Rays

Who will WIN this matchup?

Seattle Mariners (52-73)

@ Tampa Bay Rays (73-52)

Starting Pitchers:

Gonzales (SEA): 12-10; 4.26 ERA

McKay (TB) 2-2; 5.08 ERA

Last 10 Games Played:

Seattle Mariners: 5-5

Tampa Bay Rays: 7-3

Current odds:

Seattle Mariners: (+180)

Tampa Bay Rays: (-200)

•  The Tampa Bay Rays’ dormant offense woke up in their last two at-bats of the weekend and they hope to carry over the momentum into the opener of a three-game set with the visiting Seattle Mariners on Monday night. The Rays managed just two runs in 37 innings before scoring twice in each of the final two frames Sunday to grind out a 5-4 victory over Detroit, remaining on top in the race for the American League’s second wild card. Tampa Bay’s Tommy Pham struggled over a 10-day stretch earlier this month with three hits in 25 at-bats and a hand injury, but has warmed up in the last four games while going 5-for-14 with a pair of homers, including his two-run shot in the eighth on Sunday. Rookie Brendan McKay will try to find his form from the first few outings of his major league career when he takes the mound for his eighth start with the Rays in the series opener and fellow lefty Marco Gonzales gets the call for the Mariners, who were swept in three games at home by Tampa Bay on Aug. 9-11.

• Seattle is 4-2 on its nine-game road trip after routing Toronto 7-0 on Sunday as four different Mariners went deep and they recorded their third shutout of the season, moving out of a tie for last in the majors. Kyle Seager had one of the longballs for Seattle on Sunday and has hit safely in 12 straight games (16-for-44) with seven homers and 14 RBIs in that span.

• Gonzales boasts four quality starts in his last five outings, including Aug. 9 against the Rays when he gave up two runs over 6 1/3 innings of a no-decision. The 27-year-old Gonzaga product is winless in his last three starts, though, after yielding three runs on 11 hits over six frames on Wednesday in a 3-2 loss at Detroit. Jesus Aguilar is 3-for-8 with a homer versus Gonzales, who has a 3.93 ERA on the road as opposed to 4.60 at home.

• Things have not been as easy as they seemed during McKay’s first three major league starts after allowing 16 runs on 28 hits over 17 2/3 innings combined across his last four outings. The 23-year-old Louisville product battled through four innings of four-run ball at San Diego on Tuesday, walking six batters – three more than he did in his first six starts combined. The 2017 fourth overall pick is 1-2 with a 5.59 ERA in four starts at Tropicana Field.

• Seattle INF Austin Nola is 9-for-21 with two homers and three RBis during his current five-game hitting streak.

• The Rays are 10-4 during a stretch that includes 21 straight games against teams with losing records.

•  The Mariners have received at least one save from eight different pitchers this season.