(Best E Casino) - The unlikeliest of first-place battles commences tonight at Fenway Park when the Tampa Bay Rays head to Boston for the first of three- games with the defending World Series champion Red Sox.

Long the doormat of the American League East, the Rays have turned things around thus far in 2008 and actually own the league's best record - 35-22 - along with a 1 1/2-game lead on the Red Sox in the division.

Tampa Bay won its third straight in dramatic style on Sunday, getting a leadoff home run from Gabe Gross in the 10th inning to down the Chicago White Sox, 4-3, in the finale of a four-game set at Tropicana Field.

Gross added a two-run triple for Tampa Bay and Carlos Pena knocked in the other run, while Shawn Riggans went 2-for-4 and scored a run. B.J. Upton also tripled and scored a run, as the Rays won for the 20th time in their last 23 home games.

The Red Sox, meanwhile, dropped a 6-3 decision to Baltimore in the finale of a four-game series at Camden Yards on Monday, while confirming that slugger David Ortiz will be shelved for at least a month with a partial tendon tear in his left wrist.

According to a Boston newspaper, a source indicated that Ortiz's wrist will be immobilized for at least the next month to see if the injury can heal on its own.

The Rays' Matt Garza seeks his third career win against Boston and improve on an April 25 outing against the Red Sox in Florida which saw him give up five hits and three runs over five innings of a 5-4 Tampa Bay win.

Overall against Boston, he's given up 14 hits and six earned runs in 15 2/3 innings.

Boston goes with 23-year-old righty Justin Masterson, who's making his third major-league start. The former second-round draft choice allowed three hits and a run in 6 1/3 innings while picking up a win in his most recent start, on May 20 against Kansas City.

He debuted on April 24 against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and allowed two hits and a run in six innings, while getting a no-decision in Boston's 7-5 loss.

These teams have split six matchups this season, but Tampa has won just five times in its last 31 visits to Boston.