(My Sportsbook) - Joe Blanton tries to stay perfect in the month of August this evening when the Oakland Athletics continue their four-game series with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays at Tropicana Field.

Blanton has won his last two outings and is 3-0 in four starts this month. His latest win came on Monday against the Toronto Blue Jays, as he allowed a run and six hits in seven innings to run his record to 11-8 on the season, while lowering his earned run average to 3.84.

The 26-year-old right-hander has faced the Devil Rays six times in his career and is 2-2 against them with a 5.87 ERA.

Tampa will counter with 23-year-old lefty Scott Kazmir, who is 9-8 with a 3.65 ERA. Kazmir was tagged with the loss in his last start on Monday against Boston, as he surrendered six runs and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings.

Kazmir is 3-1 lifetime against the A's with a 3.18 ERA in seven starts.

In the second game of this set on Friday, Dioner Navarro went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer and four RBI as Tampa rolled to a 12-2 win. Carl Crawford collected three hits and drove in two runs for the D-Rays, who reversed the result of Friday's loss and have won two of three.

Delmon Young also had three hits, B.J. Upton finished 2-for-5 with three RBI and a pair of runs scored, and both Young and Brendan Harris drove in a run and scored once.

James Shields (10-8) allowed nine hits and two runs in 8 1/3 innings, winning his first game in his last three starts. It was the young right-hander's longest outing since a complete-game effort May 30 against Detroit.

Oakland starter Lenny DiNardo (8-7) was torched for six runs and eight hits in two-plus innings. DiNardo had not lost in his previous seven starts and turned in his shortest outing of the season.

Dan Johnson was 2-for-4 with a two-run home run for the Athletics, who had their five-game win streak snapped.

Oakland has split its eight matchups with the Devil Rays this season, but has won five of its last eight at Tropicana Field.