Blue Jays at Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays look to get their offense going and avoid a 0-3 start to the season when they host the Toronto Blue Jays in the third contest of a four-game set Tuesday. The Rays have dropped back-to-back 5-3 decisions to open the season while leaving 15 runners on base combined and going 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position Monday.
Tampa Bay made several changes to its lineup, adding power with Corey Dickerson and Logan Morrison, and hopes to improve offensively to complement a strong starting pitching corps. Hard-throwing Jake Odorizzi gets the start for the Rays and faces Aaron Sanchez, who has the backing of a Toronto lineup that has produced four homers in the first two games. Reigning American League MVP Josh Donaldson homered Monday and has scored in each game to start 2016. The Blue Jays have also gotten a homer and three RBIs from Troy Tulowitzki in the first two contests.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, Sportsnet 1 (Toronto), FSN Sun (Tampa Bay)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Blue Jays RH Aaron Sanchez (2015: 7-6, 3.22 ERA) vs. Rays RH Jake Odorizzi (2015: 9-9, 3.35)
Sanchez made 11 starts last season and came out of the bullpen 30 times, but moves into the rotation full time after an impressive spring when he allowed three runs in 20 innings with 19 strikeouts. The 23-year-old Californian was 5-4 with a 3.55 ERA and 42 strikeouts to go along with 37 walks as a starter in 2015. Kevin Kiermaier is 2-for-2 with a double against Sanchez, who made five appearances – one start – and was 0-1 with a 3.12 ERA against the Rays last year.
Odorizzi returns for his third full season after producing the best ERA of his career in 28 starts, winning three of his final four decisions. The 26-year-old Illinois native was 5-3 at home in 2015 with a 2.79 ERA, but was 1-2 in three starts against Toronto while allowing 11 runs in 17 1/3 innings. Odorizzi has kept Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion under control (2-for-26 combined), but Donaldson (2-for-8, four walks) has two homers against him.
WALK-OFFS
1. Blue Jays RHP Roberto Osuna became the youngest player (21) in major-league history to record a save Sunday and earned another with seven pitches Monday.
2. Tampa Bay LF Desmond Jennings, who played only 28 games last season because of injuries, is 3-for-8 with two runs scored in the first two games.
3. Bautista has 28 career home runs against Rays, the third-most by any active player against Tampa Bay.