Overview

• Los Angeles holds a 63–46 record and leads the National League West by three games after making only minor roster tweaks at the July 31 deadline.
• Tampa Bay has lost three straight and nine of 13 games since the All-Star break, falling to 54–56 and four games behind the final American League wild-card spot.
• Clayton Kershaw (4–2, 3.62 ERA) will start Friday’s opener against Shane Baz (8–7, 4.61 ERA), with Kershaw owning a 2–0 mark and 4.44 ERA in four career starts versus the Rays.
• The Rays are monitoring Jonathan Aranda (left wrist), Yandy Diaz (bruised forearm) and Chandler Simpson (sprained finger) after each exited Friday’s game due to injury.
• To address their midseason slide, Tampa Bay added starting pitcher Adrian Houser and reliever Griffin Jax at the trade deadline.