(Sports Network) - Two surprising six-game winners square off tonight at Tropicana Field, as Andy Sonnanstine will try to extend the Tampa Bay Rays' winning streak in game two of a three-game set with the Texas Rangers and Vicente Padilla.

Padilla has already matched his win total from last year, as he went 6-10 in 23 starts for the Rangers in 2007. However, he has won his last four decisions to improve to 6-2 and has a 2.09 earned run average over his last six outings.

He got a no-decision in his last start, giving up three runs on seven hits over five frames against Minnesota on Thursday. Texas went on to win that game, though, and has won each of Padilla's last six starts.

The right-hander hasn't fared well in his career against Tampa Bay, however. Padilla is 0-2 with a 10.13 ERA in three games (2 starts) against the Rays, having allowed 13 runs (12 earned) in 10 2/3 innings.

Sonnanstine starts for Tampa Bay and had won his last five decisions before Wednesday's outing in Oakland. Sonnanstine was touched for seven runs on nine hits -- including two homers -- in six innings of work, moving his record to 6-2 with a 5.09 ERA.

The right-hander has six wins on the season despite giving up four runs or more in six of his 10 starts this year, and has faced the Rangers just once in his career. That outing came on August 10 of last year and he took a loss after giving up five runs on seven hits over 4 1/3 innings.

In that game, Sonnanstine allowed a two-run double to Michael Young in the third frame before a three-run homer by Frank Catalanotto in the fifth.

Sonnanstine will try to carry over the momentum from Scott Kazmir's outing in Monday's opener. Kazmir tossed seven dominant innings, leading the Rays to a 7-3 victory.

Kazmir (4-1) won his fourth straight start after allowing only one run on three hits, while striking out a season-high 10 batters without issuing a walk. He started the game by fanning seven of the first nine batters and retired 15 of the initial 16 batters he faced.

The victory was Tampa Bay's fifth straight at home, and the club has also won 16 of its last 17 as the host to push its home mark to 20-8.

Eric Hinske had a three-run homer for the Rays and Dioner Navarro was 3-for-4 with an RBI and scored a run. Carlos Pena added three hits for Tampa, which won its fourth straight contest after posting a weekend sweep of the Baltimore Orioles and now holds the best record in the majors at 31-20.

The Rays also remained a half-game up on Boston for first place in the American League East.

Tampa's Carl Crawford went 1-for-5 with a run scored and is now batting .300 (12-for-40) over a nine-game hitting streak.

Rangers starter Sidney Ponson (3-1) surrendered five runs on 12 hits and three walks over five innings to take the loss, Texas' second in its last six games.

Ian Kinsler drove in all three Texas runs with a two-run homer and sac fly, while Ramon Vazquez doubled twice and scored a run. Kinsler extended his hitting streak to 11 games and is hitting .275 (14-for-51) over that run with four homers, 12 RBI and 12 runs scored.

Young, meanwhile, extended his hitting streak to 12 games with a single in the fourth, and is hitting .267 (16-for-60) with 11 runs scored, two homers and five RBI over his streak.

Josh Hamilton, playing in Tampa Bay for the first time since leaving the club via the Rule 5 draft in 2007, went 0-for-4 with a strikeout. Hamilton was the Rays' No. 1 overall pick in 1999, but injuries and drug abuse hindered his career in Tampa.

Texas and Tampa met for the first time this season on Monday after the Rangers won five of nine clashes last year. The clubs did not meet in St. Petersburg in 2007, instead playing a three-game set in Orlando to try and increase the Rays' fan base.