Blue Jays at Rays
Jake Bauers and Willy Adames provided a glimpse of the future in the series opener and the two 22-year-old rookies look to keep making the present better for the Tampa Bay Rays when they host the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday night. Bauers launched his first major league homer and was on base four times while Adames knocked in a pair of runs in Tampa Bay’s 8-4 victory Monday.
Bauers is 5-for-11 with four extra-base hits in the last three games and Adames - acquired from Detroit in 2014 in the David Price deal - made an impact after being recalled Monday when fellow infielder David Robertson (hamstring) was placed on the 10-day disabled list. The Rays, who won for just the second time in 11 games, will go with reliever Ryne Stanek in a starting role in Tuesday’s contest while left-hander Jaime Garcia hopes to break the pattern of good and bad starts as he takes the mound for Toronto. The Blue Jays coughed up a lead three times Monday to see their four-game winning streak come to an end, failing to score in the last five innings. Veteran outfielder Curtis Granderson, who had six RBIs in Sunday’s win versus Baltimore and is 6-for-11 in his last three games, is expected back in the lineup Tuesday for Toronto after being rested against a left-handed starter in the series opener.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, Sportsnet (Toronto), FS Sun (Tampa Bay)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Blue Jays LH Jaime Garcia (2-4, 5.57 ERA) vs. Rays RH Ryne Stanek (1-1, 3.14)
Garcia is winless in his last eight appearances but posted quality starts in two of his last three outings, including Thursday. The 31-year-old Mexico native limited Baltimore to one run on four hits and three walks across six innings in that start after completing just 1 2/3 frames in his previous outing. Carlos Gomez is 12-for-33 with three extra-base hits versus Garcia, who yielded one run over 4 2/3 innings in his only career start against the Rays last year.
Stanek gets his fourth start after allowing two runs on two hits and three walks with five strikeouts over four innings in his first three as the Rays continue to use relievers to open selected games. The 26-year-old Kansas native fanned 18 overall in his 14 1/3 innings this year, but has issued nine walks. Stanek, who faces the Blue Jays for the first time, has yet to give up a run while holding opponents to a .130 batting average in his six appearances at home in 2018.
WALK-OFFS
1. Toronto OF Teoscar Hernandez homered for the second straight contest Monday and is 9-for-22 with six RBIs during a five-game hitting streak.
2. Tampa Bay 3B Matt Duffy has hit safely in seven straight contests, going 11-for-28 in that stretch to push his batting average to .320.
3. Blue Jays 1B Justin Smoak is 1-for-21 with nine strikeouts over his last six games to drop his average to .237.