Rays performing unevenly going into Rangers series

During a difficult road trip that ended in Canada, Tampa Bay ace Shane McClanahan gave the Rays the performance they needed.

McClanahan's club will oppose Texas in the Rangers' lone visit to St. Petersburg, Fla., during a three-game series that opens Friday night.

Tampa Bay (80-63) had a roughtime of it in Toronto in an unusual five-game series against the wild-card-rival Blue Jays.

The Rays dropped the opener on Monda