(Sports Network) - The AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays will try to distance themselves further from the competition tonight, when they open a three-game series versus Texas at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.

Tampa Bay has won two straight and sits three games ahead of the Boston Red Sox in the division standings. The Red Sox, though, have won four straight and seven of 10 to keep the race interesting.

The Rays won their fifth straight series by handing the Oakland Athletics a 7-6 setback in 12innings in the finale of a three-game series at McAfee Coliseum. Carlos Pena homered and Dioner Navarro added an RBI single in the decisive 12th inning, while Cliff Floyd scored four runs on four walks for the Rays, who have won five of six and 12 of their last 15 games.

Jason Hammel allowed an unearned run in 2 2/3 innings of relief for the win and starter James Shields gave up four runs over the first five innings.

Tampa Bay, which is 5-2 on a 10-game road trip and 28-30 as the visitor, will send Matt Garza to the mound on Friday. Garza has alternated wins and losses over his last six decisions and posted a no-decision the previous time out on August 9 at Seattle. He yielded five runs and 10 hits over 5 2/3 innings in an 8-7 victory over the Mariners.

Garza is 9-7 with a 3.88 ERA in 22 trips to the hill in 2008, and owns a 2-1 mark in three career starts against Texas. The right-hander lost to the Rangers on June 8 this season after allowing three runs in four frames of his team's 6-3 road setback.

Texas was just swept in three games by the Red Sox and has lost seven of its last eight games. In Thursday's embarrassing 10-0 loss in the series finale at Fenway Park, starter Tommy Hunter was making his third major league start and gave up nine runs on seven hits in just 1 2/3 frames to suffer the loss.

Michael Young had two of the six hits for the Rangers, who are 10 games off the AL Wild Card lead. Texas will kick off a nine-game homestand on Friday and is 31-26 in Arlington this season.

The Rangers are expected to have starting pitcher Kevin Millwood back this evening after the right-hander spent some time on the disabled list due to a groin problem. Millwood is 0-2 in his last three outings and did not factor in the outcome of a 10-8 loss at Chicago on July 23. Millwood only lasted 1 2/3 innings and yielded three runs and two hits, falling to 6-6 in 20 starts.

The right-handed Millwood is 1-1 with a 6.63 ERA in three career starts against the Rays.

Tampa Bay has won four of the six meetings with Texas this season and is 9-6 over the last 15 encounters.