After watching an American League club leave town with an eight-game winning streak, the Tampa Bay Rays will welcome in a standout National League team, the Arizona Diamondbacks, for three games starting Friday night in St. Petersburg, Fla.

The Diamondbacks own the Senior Circuit’s longest active winning streak (six) and the majors’ best mark at 20-5 since the All-Star Game.

The Rays may not be out of the wild-card race, but they certainly are down after they generated just four runs and 11 hits in a three-game sweep at the hands of the Houston Astros.

With 42 games left, the club is third in line in the group on the outside looking in at the wild-card placeholders — the Baltimore Orioles, Minnesota Twins and Kansas City Royals.

In order to get into that playoff group by bumping one out, the Rays would have to bypass the Boston Red Sox and Seattle Mariners, who also have work to do in order to play more meaningful games in October.

However, the Rays’ culprit continues to be the same from game to game — the offense.

Tampa Bay’s .231 team batting average grids 26th of 30 clubs, and it is 28th in home runs with 110, ahead of only the lowly Chicago White Sox and youthful Washington Nationals.

The Rays are 28th in runs (464, 3.87 per game) — a far cry from the Diamondbacks’ 644 (5.28) that lead the majors.

Manager Kevin Cash’s anemic offense has scored two runs or fewer in nine of its past 13 games and is homerless in a season-high four straight.

“Oh, they’re down. They’re down now because they care a lot and are doing everything they can to get out of it,” Cash said. “When you’re trying to get out of it, going against a Houston pitching staff is probably not the most ideal thing.”

Unlike their hosts this weekend, the Diamondbacks are riding high after a dramatic 2023 postseason run to the World Series and this season’s push in the National League West.

Torey Lovullo’s team is the best in baseball following the midsummer break after a slow start.

After going 25-32 in April and May, the NL West club gained ground on the Los Angeles Dodgers, whom Arizona trailed by just two games after Thursday’s results. Arizona is tied with the San Diego Padres for second after going 44-21 (.677 winning percentage) since June.

In their recent seven-game homestand, the Diamondbacks took three of four games from the NL East-leading Philadelphia Phillies and swept the Colorado Rockies to build their six-game winning streak.

Arizona received good news on second baseman Ketel Marte (low grade ankle sprain).

“The fact that it’s day-to-day is a really good thing. He’s not going on the IL, which is even better,” said Lovullo, whose group has gone 3-0 with Marte out.

Lovullo said the Diamondbacks may use a six-man rotation, and Ryne Nelson (8-6, 4.51 ERA) is expected to start the series opener. The right-hander has not gotten a decision in two August starts after appearances after going 3-0 in six July appearances. He has not faced the Rays in his career.

Tampa Bay will go with Ryan Pepiot (6-5, 3.92), who made a final rehab start (right knee infection) with Double-A Montgomery on Saturday night. He fanned seven on 69 pitches in 3 1/3 innings.

The right-hander is 2-0 with a 2.20 ERA in four career outings (three starts) against Arizona.

–Field Level Media