Philadelphia Phillies probable pitchers & starting lineups vs. Tampa Bay Rays, May 6

The Philadelphia Phillies (19-15) begin a six-game road trip on Tuesday when they face off against the Tampa Bay Rays (16-18) at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa. The location is notable, since it’s a minor league ballpark the Rays are borrowing from the New York Yankees for the season while they wait for Tropicana Field to be repaired.

The Phillies come in to this one having won three straight series and six of their last eight games. They missed out on a series sweep against the Arizona Diamondbacks with an 11-9 extra-inning loss on Sunday. Ranger Suárez returned to the rotation, but didn’t fare well in his season debut.

Last season, the Phillies swept the Rays in a three-game September series in Philadelphia, outscoring the visitors 14-7. They open the week three games behind the New York Mets in the NL East. With nothing but right-handers on the schedule, look for left fielder Max Kepler to continue his strong run at the plate — he has been the Phillies’ hottest hitter since April 21.

The Rays sit third in the AL East, 2.5 games behind the Yankees. Tampa Bay is 6-4 in their last 10 games, and is coming off a weekend series win over the Bronx Bombers. They’ve struggled to score runs this season, with their 131 runs ranking as the eighth-lowest total in the majors this season. Despite playing home games in a home run-friendly minor league park, their 28 long balls are the fifth-fewest.

Phillies vs. Rays probable pitchers, May 6

Zack Wheeler (2-1, 3.48 ERA) will open the series for the Phillies. The righty has a 1.00 WHIP with 57 strikeouts in 44 innings across seven starts. He has posted three straight quality starts, with five on the season. Wheeler won his only start against the Rays last season, throwing six innings, allowing two runs on four hits while striking out nine.

Drew Rasmussen (1-2, 2.64 ERA, 30 SO) will counter for the Rays. The 29-year-old right-hander has a stingy 0.98 WHIP and 30 strikeouts in 30 2/3 innings over six starts this season. The Rays have him on a short leash so far, as he hasn’t completed six innings or thrown more than 84 pitches in any of his outings.