Blue Jays at Rays
Although offense has carried the Tampa Bay Rays over the past week, the pitching staff also has done its part by not allowing more than three runs during the current 6-1 tear. Reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell hopes to continue that trend and help the surging Rays complete a three-game sweep of the visiting Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday night.
Austin Meadows continued his torrid pace by homering for the third straight day to extend his hitting streak to five games, during which he is 12-for-23 with seven RBIs and five runs scored. Avisail Garcia added an inside-the-park homer in Tuesday's 3-1 victory as Tampa Bay won its fourth straight game to climb a season-high 14 games over .500. While the Rays closed within a game of first place in the AL East, Toronto is careening in the other direction with six losses in its last seven games to drop a season-worst 13 under .500. Justin Smoak, who had five homers in five games before sitting out the series opener due to illness, collected two hits in his return to the lineup Tuesday.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, SportsnetOne (Toronto), FS Sun (Tampa Bay)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Blue Jays RH Trent Thornton (1-4, 4.42 ERA) vs. Rays LH Blake Snell (3-4, 3.07)
Thornton did not look like he was long for the rotation after he was hit hard in three straight starts last month, including five runs and three home runs over three innings in a loss to Tampa Bay on April 12. He has been solid in five of his last six turns, but was forced to settle for his second straight no-decision despite racking up a season-high 10 strikeouts in six innings of three-run ball versus San Diego on Friday. Meadows swatted a pair of homers off Snell, who has surrendered 10 blasts in his 11 starts.
Although it's not reflected in his won-loss record, Snell has been magnificent since he was hammered for seven runs in three innings at Kansas City on May 1. Showing the form that won him 21 games last year, Snell has permitted only four runs and 15 hits over his last four starts -- a span he which he has registered 37 strikeouts in 24 1/3 innings. Snell was 2-0 with a miserly 0.54 ERA in three starts against the Blue Jays last season and limited them to one hit over six scoreless innings in a no-decision on April 13.
WALK-OFFS
1. Meadows is 10-for-21 with four homers and eight RBIs in five games versus Toronto this season.
2. Blue Jays 3B Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is 3-for-23 in the last six contests, with all the hits coming in one game.
3. Garcia has hit safely in seven of his last eight games.