Blue Jays at Rays
The Toronto Blue Jays dug themselves too deep of a hole to challenge for a spot in the playoffs this season, but they have to be thrilled with some of the recent performances they have received from their young core. The Blue Jays take aim at their seventh win in nine tries Tuesday when they continue a three-game set in Tampa Bay against the Rays.
Toronto ripped off a season-high five straight victories after stumbling to a 6-10 record following the All-Star break before backtracking a bit over the weekend in Baltimore. After riding the red-hot bat of 20-year-old Vladimir Guerrero Jr. for the bulk of that run, Bo Bichette backed a five-hit shutout from fellow rookie Jacob Waguespack and three relievers by accounting for both runs in the Blue Jays' 2-0 win in Tampa Bay on Monday. The shutout was a shock to the system for the Rays, who had scored at least six runs in a team-record seven straight contests - the last six of which were wins - before stranding seven runners and finishing 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position. Tampa Bay remained one-half game ahead of Oakland for the second wild card in the American League and fell nine games behind the New York Yankees atop the AL Central.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, Sportsnet (Toronto), FS Sun (Tampa Bay)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Blue Jays RH Trent Thornton (4-7, 5.23 ERA) vs. Rays RH Andrew Kittredge (1-0, 2.52)
Thornton returned from a brief stay on the injured list with right elbow inflammation and made a conscious effort to relax during Thursday's win in Baltimore, allowing one run on five hits and no walks over six innings. "(Clay Buchholz) has been a huge help for me. What he was telling me was to be loose, think loose and your velocity is going to be there, and you’re going to locate better," the North Carolina product told reporters. Thornton has faced Tampa Bay twice this season, going 0-1 with a 9.39 ERA.
Kittredge will make his second appearance in three days after closing out Tampa Bay's 7-2 win against Miami on Sunday by permitting one unearned run over two innings. The former 45th-round pick produced a similar line when he opened at Boston on Wednesday, yielding one unearned run on two hits while striking out three in 2 1/3 frames. Kittredge also got the start four days earlier in Toronto, allowing two runs despite fanning seven across three innings in a no-decision.
WALK-OFFS
1. Bichette on Monday joined Jesse Barfield (1981) and Ryan Goins (2013) as the only players in team history to begin their careers with a hitting streak of at least eight games.
2. Tampa Bay DH-1B Jesus Aguilar, who became the 13th player to bat cleanup for the Rays this season, is 5-for-11 with a homer, two RBIs and four runs scored in four games since arriving from Milwaukee at the trade deadline.
3. With a victory on Tuesday or Wednesday, Toronto will win a series over Tampa Bay for the first time in 11 tries since Aug. 14-17, 2017.