Rays at Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays recorded a pair of series victories on the road to start the season and come home for the next 10, starting with the first of four against the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday. The Blue Jays took two of three from the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles while posting 36 runs, including at least six in all four of their wins, and went 46-35 at home a year ago.
Jose Reyes leads the way with 10 hits for a well-balanced Toronto offense, which belted three homers in a 10-7 victory over Baltimore on Sunday. The Rays come into the series with a bit of confidence as well after winning three of their last four games following an 0-2 start to manager Kevin Cash’s first campaign. David DeJesus, who did not seem to have a role with Tampa Bay to start the season, knocked in six runs in the last two games and Kevin Kiermaier has seven extra-base hits. DeJesus told reporters. “We feel confident as an offensive side right now.”
TV: 7:07 p.m. ET, Sun Sports (Tampa Bay), SNET (Toronto)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Jake Odorizzi (2-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. Blue Jays RH R.A. Dickey (0-0, 1.42)
Odorizzi was dazzling in his season debut while allowing two hits over 6 2/3 innings against Baltimore with two strikeouts and no walks. The 25-year-old went 9-6 after a 2-7 start last season, but registered a 6.32 ERA on the road as opposed to 2.62 at home. Odorizzi went 1-0 with a 1.29 ERA in two outings against Toronto last season and has limited Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista to 0-of-8 with a walk and three strikeouts in his career.
Dickey gave up one run and four hits over 6 1/3 innings in his first start of the season against the New York Yankees without receiving a decision. The knuckleballer went 2-2 with a 4.68 ERA in four starts versus the Rays in 2014 -- 6-5 with a .199 batting average against in his career. Asdrubal Cabrera (4-of-9, two homers) and Evan Longoria (8-of-30, two homers) have hit well versus Dickey, who was 8-4 at home and 6-9 on the road last year.
WALK OFFS
1. Longoria has 229 career doubles and needs one to break a tie with Ben Zobrist for the franchise record.
2. Bautista’s homer Sunday gave him 204 with the team, passing Joe Carter for third in franchise history.
3. Rays C Rene Rivera ended a 0-of-16 slump with three hits Sunday, including a pair of doubles.