The set-up: The Boston Red Sox sat at 21-21 in games played through May 20. However, despite seeing their six-game winnings streak snapped last night in an 8-2 loss at Texas, the Red Sox open a four-game series at Tampa Bay tonight against the Rays, having won 28 of their last 43 games. The 49-36 Red Sox come into the final four days before the break four games better than the Yankees in the AL East and 5 1/2 games better than the third-place Rays, who are 44-42. Tampa Bay reached a season-high four games above .500 on June 27 but enter this series having lost six of its last 10.

The pitching matchup: Chris Sale (11-3 & 2.61 ERA) gets the start for Boston and rookie Jacob Faria (3-0 & 2.23 ERA) for Tampa Bay. Sale is a strong candidate to get the start for the AL in Tuesday's All-Star Game and leads the majors with 166 strikeouts, while Boston has gone 13-4 in his starts (plus-$580 ranks 15th among all starters). Sale comes in with seven wins in his last eight starts and has made two starts against Tampa Bay earlier in this season, winning each one while allowing four runs on five hits with 24 strikeouts in 14 innings (2.57 ERA). He's now 6-4 with a 3.51 ERA against Tampa Bay in his career. Faria has yet to lose in five big league starts and has recorded a quality start in each one. He won his first three but has had back-to-back no-decisions in his most recent two (Rays are 1-1). Faria owns an 0.90 WHIP and .202 BAA to go along with his excellent 2.23 ERA in 2017.

The pick; Have to like what Faria has done so far but Sale is rolling and while the Red Sox were limited to three hits and didn't collect one until the sixth inning in last night's 8-2 loss, Boston had averaged 8.8 runs during its six-game winning streak. Make Sale and Boston an 8* play.