On deck: Astros at Tampa Bay Rays

When/where: Today and Friday at 6:10 p.m., Saturday at 3:10 p.m., Sunday at 12:10 p.m.; Tropicana Field. TV/radio: ATTSW; 790 AM and 850 AM/101.7 FM (Spanish). Pitchers: Today, RHP Lance McCullers Jr. (8-3, 3.82) vs. RHP Ryne Stanek (1-1, 1.99); Friday, RHP Gerrit Cole (9-1, 2.56) vs. RHP Wilmer Font (1-3, 6.46) ; Saturday, RHP Justin Verlander (9-3, 1.82) vs. TBA ; Sunday, RHP Charlie Morton (10-1, 2.54) vs. LHP Blake Snell (10-4, 2.31). Astros (54-28) update: Houston’s previous trip to Tropicana Field was for a three-game series against the Rangers in the wake of Hurricane Harvey last Aug. 29-31. The Astros were 2-5 there last year, going 1-3 against Tampa Bay and 1-2 against Texas. … Evan Gattis (30) and Alex Bregman (26) rank first and second in the majors in RBIs this month. Gattis’ total is a club record for June. … Josh Reddick leads the AL with a .389 batting average in June and is hitting .452 (19-for-42) over his last 12 games. Rays (39-40) update: Tampa Bay has won its last eight home games and is off to a 5-0 start on this nine-game homestand, having swept three games from the Yankees and two from the Nationals. Three of its last four wins were shutouts. … As they did on one occasion in a series at Minute Maid Park last week, the Rays will use a reliever as an “opener” at least once in the series when Stanek starts tonight’s game. Font, who was used as an opener in his first start, has gone progressively deeper into games, lasting into the sixth inning in his most recent appearance against the Yankees. … As one of seven major league pitchers to have reached double figures in victories, Snell has emerged as a young ace, with his ERA ranking third in the AL behind Verlander and Luis Severino (2.10). His 1.04 WHIP ranks eighth in the AL. … Matt Duffy’s .317 batting average ranked sixth in the AL through Tuesday’s games.