The fifth game of the Devil Rays' nine-game homestand figures to be a tough one, as they go against Barry Zito, who allowed just four hits in eight scoreless innings against the Devil Rays in picking up the win in 2004. He is 5-2 against the Rays in his career. However, he does have a losing record in his career (6-7) while pitching on artificial turf.
Devil Rays starter Hideo Nomo did not pitch against Oakland in 2004, but has a 3-1 lifetime record against the A's.
The Devil Rays lost two out of three to the Blue Jays in their previous series. Following this three-game set at Tropicana Field, they will host Baltimore for three games then head to Boston for the team's first road trip of the season.