Rays at Blue Jays
The Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays have become very familiar with one another early in the season and the American League East rivals will meet again Tuesday night in Canada for the opener of a two-game set. The clubs split 10 meetings in the first five weeks of the year and both enter their fourth series together with a bit of momentum.
The Rays capped a 5-2 homestand with a 5-4 win over Oakland on Sunday, as recent call-up Mallex Smith continued to make an impact. Brought up Friday to replace injured center fielder Kevin Kiermaier (hip), Smith went 8-for-14 with a homer, six runs scored and four stolen bases in the four-game series with the Athletics over the weekend. He and his teammates will take aim at a Blue Jays staff that allowed a total of six runs in taking two of three at Seattle, capped by Sunday's 4-0 triumph. Jacob Faria, who won his major-league debut last Wednesday, gets the start opposite fellow right-hander Marco Estrada for the Blue Jays.
TV: 7:07 p.m. ET, FSN Sun (Tampa Bay), Sportsnet (Toronto)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Jacob Faria (1-0, 1.42 ERA) vs. Blue Jays RH Marco Estrada (4-4, 4.04)
Faria was summoned from Triple-A Durham for Tuesday's start to take the place of Matt Andriese, who is likely out until August with a stress reaction in his hip, and Jake Odorizzi will be moved back to Wednesday. The 23-year-old limited the Chicago White Sox to one run on three hits and two walks over 6 1/3 innings with five strikeouts in a 3-1 victory last week. Faria, a former 10th-round draft pick, is 6-1 with a 3.07 ERA and 84 strikeouts in 58 2/3 innings at Durham in 2017.
Estrada entered June at 4-2 with a 3.15 ERA, but he's been knocked around for 11 runs and 16 hits in 9 1/3 innings over his first two starts this month. Included in that stretch is a rocky performance (seven runs in 3 2/3 innings) against the New York Yankees in his most recent home outing. The 33-year-old faced the Rays twice in Tampa Bay earlier in the year, giving up 10 runs in 11 frames to fall to 1-6 lifetime against the divisional foes.
WALK-OFFS
1. Bautista is 5-for-36 with 14 strikeouts against the Rays this year.
2. Rays OF Colby Rasmus has nine home runs in his last 29 games.
3. Blue Jays 3B Josh Donaldson is batting .351 with five home runs in June.