Rays @ Red Sox

Who will WIN this matchup?

Tampa Bay Rays (62-48)

@ Boston Red Sox (59-50)

Starting Pitchers:

McKay (TB): 1-1; 3.72 ERA

Cashner (BOS) 10-5; 4.18 ERA

Last 10 Games Played:

Tampa Bay Rays: 6-4

Boston Red Sox: 5-5

Current odds:

Tampa Bay Rays: (+110)

Boston Red Sox: (-120)

•  While the Boston Red Sox elected to stand pat and failed to add an arm to their beleaguered bullpen at Wednesday’s trade deadline, the Tampa Bay Rays made a flurry of moves to bolster their chances for a wild-card spot. After extending their recent mastery of the Red Sox at Fenway Park, the Rays look to complete a three-game sweep on Thursday night. Tampa Bay swung a deal with Milwaukee to acquire first baseman Jesus Aguilar, who clubbed 35 homers last season, and fortified its rotation and bullpen in a trade with Miami, bringing in a starter pitcher in Trevor Richards and a power arm in Nick Anderson. Kevin Kiermaier provided a jolt in his return from the injury list, homering on the first pitch he saw and adding an RBI triple as the Rays improved to 7-1 in their last eight at Fenway with an 8-5 victory Wednesday.

• Reigning World Series champion Boston has been without a true closer all season and has 18 blown saves, but general manager David Dombrowski said there was not a “gaping hole” at the back of the bullpen. J.D. Martinez homered among three hits but the Red Sox received another sub-par outing from a starter to extend their losing streak to three and fall 2 1/2 games behind Tampa Bay for second place in the American League East.

• McKay, recalled up from Triple-A Durham to make the start, turned in a stellar effort to win his major league debut with six scoreless innings of one-hit ball to beat Texas on June 29. He went five innings in a pair of no-decisions versus the Yankees and Baltimore in his next two turns, striking out a career-best seven versus the Orioles before he was shelled for six runs and nine hits by the White Sox on July 19. He is holding lefties to a .214 batting average.

• Cashner broke into the win column in his third start with Boston since he was acquired from Baltimore, going 6 2/3 innings and giving up three runs on 10 hits to beat the New York Yankees. The 32-year-old was knocked around for 10 runs and 14 hits, including four homers, in losing his first two outings with the Red Sox. Cashner was 1-1 with a 4.00 ERA in three starts against Tampa Bay last year and pitched five innings of two-run ball in a no-decision on April 18.

• The Rays sent RHP Ryne Stanek and OF Jesus Sanchez to Miami for RHPs Richards and Anderson.

• 2B Michael Chavis also went deep for Boston, which has homered in 16 straight games at Fenway — its longest streak since a 17-game run in 1969.

• Tampa Bay placed 2B Joey Wendle (wrist) on the injured list and activated OF Kevin Kiermaier.