GameDay Preview: Rays Host Rangers in Battle of Baseball's 2 Best Teams

Tampa Bay and Texas have the two best records in baseball, and they meet for the first time on Friday night in St. Petersburg. The Rays are 29-6 at home, the best record over 35 games since the start of the expansion era in 1961.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The stories have mirrored each other for most of the first two months when it comes to the Tampa Bay Rays and Texas Rangers. They can hit, they can pitch and they can beat you silly in one blowout win after another.

They are the two best teams in baseball right now, and they meet for the first time this season on Friday night, with the first of three games at Tropicana Field. Both are also red-hot in June so far.

Tampa Bay is 46-19, a whopping 27 games over .500. They started the season with a 13-game winning streak, but they've continued to play .635 ball since then and have won six in a row, sweeping American League Central leader Minnesota to start the week.

The Rangers, who are 40-21 now, went 17-11 in April and 18-9 in May. They are 5-1 so far in June

The Rangers have been around since 1972 after moving from Washington and they have never once played in a game this late in the season as one of the game's two best teams, according to Elias Sports.

So, needless to say, this is a great matchup and plenty of excitement surrounds it. They play at 6:40 p.m. ET on Friday, then go at 4:10 p.m. on Saturday and 1:40 on Sunday.

"It's a challenge no doubt. I'm excited to play them,'' Rays manager Kevin Cash said.  "Bruce Bochy is back in the game, a Hall of Fame manager, and they've got a lot of really good players over there. They've done everything well this year. They've hit well and they've pitched well, and they are putting it together.''

The Rays are 29-6 at home, the best record in baseball since the start to the expansion era. No one's done it better, and only three other teams — the 1998 New York Yankees, the 1978 Boston Red Sox and the 1972 Chicago White Sox — have equaled it. 

"I think since I've been here and the team has had some recent success over the last four or five years, it does feel like we've created a little bit of a home field Dave Wills Dome-field advantage,'' Cash said. "This year is feels like we've taken it to another level. We've been able to open up games with a more potent offense.''

The Rangers lead all of baseball in runs scored (386) and the Rays are second at 372. The Rangers have a league-best run differential of plus 154, and the Rays are second at plus-135. The difference, by the way, is that one 20-1 blowout for the Rays against Toronto.

Tampa Bay first baseman Yandy Diaz is back in the lineup after missing a couple of games. With Texas throwing left-hander Andrew Heaney Friday night, Diaz wanted to be back in the lineup. Another lefty, Martin Perez, is scheduled to pitch Sunday for Texas, so Diaz is a welcomed addition to the Rays' lineup

Cash decided to not start Josh Lowe in right field, spoiling the Lowe vs. Lowe matchup. Josh's older brother, former Ray Nathaniel Lowe, is starting at first base for the Rangers and the Lowe family is all here, along with a couple hundred friends.

"I know Josh missed the opportunity to go to Texas last year, but I'm hoping that Josh will impact all three games this weekend, whether he's starting or not,'' Cash said.  

Tyler Glasnow is on the mound for the Rays on Friday night, making his third start of the season after missing the first 50 games with an oblique injury. He pitched 5 1/3 innings last Saturday at Boston, allowing just one run and four hits, but he didn't factor into the decision.

Texas Rangers starting lineup

1. Marcus Semien, 2B
2. Corey Seager, SS
3. Nathaniel Lowe, 1B
4. Adolis Garcia, RF
5. Josh Jung, 3B
6. Jonah Heim, C
7. Mitch Garver, DH
8. Ezequiel Duran, LF
9. Leody Taveras, CF

SP — Andrew Heaney  (4-3, 4.03 ERA)

Tampa Bay Rays starting lineup

1. Yandy Diaz, 1B
2. Wander Franco, SS
3. Harold Ramirez, DH
4. Randy Arozarena, LF
5. Isaac Paredes, 3B
6. Jose Siri CF
7. Christian Bethancourt C
8. Manuel Margot, RF
9. Taylor Walls, 2B 

SP — Tyler Glasnow (0-0, 3.72 ERA)