TAMPA, Fla. (Interstat) — The Tampa Tarpons will look to bounce back from a lopsided loss when they host the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels on Tuesday night at George M. Steinbrenner Field in a pivotal Florida State League matchup between two teams separated by 1½ games in the standings.

First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. with the weather forecast calling for temperatures in the °F range.

Fort Myers (35-27) will start right-hander Hendry Chivilli, who enters with a 0-0 record in limited action this season. The Tarpons have not announced a probable starter.

The Mighty Mussels enter on a sour note after a 15-5 blowout loss to the Dunedin Blue Jays on Saturday, June 13. Despite the defeat, designated hitter Walker Jenkins provided a bright spot, going 4-for-5 with a home run and an RBI. The 21-year-old outfielder, a former first-round draft pick, has been a consistent offensive force and is one of the league’s top hitting prospects.

Tampa (34-29) dropped a 10-3 decision at Bradenton on Sunday, June 14, but saw promising relief work from Jordarlin Mendoza. The right-hander tossed a scoreless inning, allowing two hits and striking out three. Mendoza has been lights-out of late, posting six consecutive appearances without allowing an earned run, spanning 4 innings of work dating to late May.

The season series has been competitive. Fort Myers took two of three from Tampa when the teams met May 5-10 at Hammond Stadium, including an 11-9 win on May 9 and a 5-3 victory on May 10. Tampa won three of those six meetings overall.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a close contest, forecasting a 6-5 win for the Tarpons.

This game opens a six-game home-and-home set between the two clubs. After Tuesday’s contest, the teams will meet again at Steinbrenner Field on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday before Fort Myers returns home to face the St. Lucie Mets on June 23. Tampa will travel to Dunedin for a six-game road series beginning that same day.

Both teams enter this stretch chasing the division lead, making every matchup critical. Jenkins will be the key bat to watch for the Mighty Mussels, while Mendoza’s electric arm out of the bullpen could be the difference in another tight ballgame.