Preview: Citrus Series kicks off as Caleb Smith, Marlins welcome Rays to town

TV: FOX Sports Florida & FOX Sports Sun

TIME: Pregame coverage begins at 6:30 p.m.

WATCH IT LIVE ON FOX SPORTS GO

Tampa Bay Rays (24-15, first in the AL East) vs. Miami Marlins (10-29, fifth in the AL East)

PITCHING PROBABLES

Rays: Charlie Morton (3-0, 2.64 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 56 strikeouts)

Marlins: Caleb Smith (3-0, 2.11 ERA, .89 WHIP, 56 strikeouts)

LINE

Rays favored by 1 1/2 runs; over/under is 6 1/2 runs

BOTTOM LINE

Miami enters the game as losers of their last five games.

The Marlins are 6-15 on their home turf. Miami has a team on-base percentage of .282, last in the majors. Neil Walker leads the club with a mark of .379.

The Rays are 12-5 on the road. Tampa Bay ranks sixth in the MLB in hitting with a .256 batting average, Brandon Lowe leads the club with an average of .297. This is the first game between these teams in 2019.

TOP PERFORMERS

Starlin Castro leads the Marlins with 34 hits and is batting .225. Rosell Herrera is 7-for-20 with a double and six RBIs over the last 10 games for Miami.

Yandy Diaz leads the Rays with nine home runs home runs and is slugging .550. Lowe is 12-for-38 with three doubles, two home runs and five RBIs over the last 10 games for Tampa Bay.

LAST 10 GAMES

Marlins: 2-8, .203 batting average, 5.28 ERA, outscored by 30 runs

Rays: 5-5, .256 batting average, 2.57 ERA, outscored opponents by 16 runs

Marlins Injuries: Drew Steckenrider: 60-day IL (elbow), Riley Ferrell: 60-day IL (bicep), Julian Fernandez: 60-day IL (elbow), Peter O’Brien: 10-day IL (ribcage).

Rays Injuries: Hunter Wood: 10-day IL (shoulder), Tyler Glasnow: 10-day IL (forearm), Jose De Leon: 60-day IL (elbow), Anthony Banda: 60-day IL (elbow), Joey Wendle: 10-day IL (wrist), Matt Duffy: 60-day IL (back), Mike Zunino: 10-day IL (quad), Michael Perez: 10-day IL (oblique).