Propelled into the American League playoff chase and pursuing the first-place New York Yankees in the East, the Rays will host the opener of a three-game series against the Athletics on Monday night. The Rays are 17-9 in the month after losing 5-1 at the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday. The setback concluded a 4-2 week that included a sweep at the Kansas City Royals and a three-game series loss to their division rivals. However, Brandon Lowe’s 18th home run in Sunday’s setback extended his hitting streak to a majors-best 16 games.