This is an 8* PUNSIHER on the Rays runline.

The Rays are seven games back of the Wildcard, but they haven't given up:

"I don't think we should accept splits," Rays manager Kevin Cash said after his team went 2-2 in Oakland this week. "That's not the standard that we've set, but that's what we did. We've got to do a better job of finding ways to score runs for sure. For us to get back in the thing, we've got to really get hot."

Tyler Alexander is 5-3 with a 5.17 ERA for Tampa, making his 17th appearance and seventh start. He's been decent of late, going 3-0 with a 2.25 ERA over his last five.

Not the greatest numbers overall, but still better than LA starter Bobby Miller (1-3, 8.02), who most recently gave up four runs off eight hits over four innings in a loss to the Cardinals.

Look for TAMPA to, at the very least, keep this one close enough to cover on the RUNLINE option.

Good luck, NP