Blue Jays at Rays
Austin Meadows has caused plenty of trouble for the Toronto Blue Jays this year and the Rays’ outfielder looks to do some more damage with the bat when the teams open a four-game set in Tampa Bay on Thursday night. Meadows is 21-for-50 with five homers and 11 RBIs in 12 games against the Blue Jays in 2019 and the 24-year-old outfielder is riding a four-game hitting streak overall (7-for-13) coming into the series.
Meadows is 6-for-7 with three homers and a pair of walks against Thursday’s scheduled starter Trent Thornton and belted a solo shot Tuesday as the Rays salvaged the nightcap of a doubleheader 2-0 against Baltimore, allowing them to hold the top spot in the American League wild-card race. “We were frustrated after Game 1. Without a doubt,” Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash told reporters. “But they didn’t sulk. They came out quickly. I know the bats didn’t come to life by any stretch, but we certainly pitched well, defended well.” Toronto is playing out the string on another disappointing season with 12 losses in its last 15 contests but there is hope for the future with players such as shortstop Bo Bichette, who is batting .326 overall, has hit safely in nine of the last 10 games and is 5-for-12 versus the Rays. Randal Grichuk leads the Blue Jays in homers (24) and RBIs (62), although he is 2-for-18 in his last five outings, while teammate Rowdy Tellez has homered in each of the last two games.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, YouTube
PITCHING MATCHUP: Blue Jays RH Trent Thornton (4-9, 5.34 ERA) vs. Rays RH Austin Pruitt (2-0, 4.78)
Thornton is winless in his past five starts, including Friday when he allowed four runs (three earned) over five innings with six strikeouts in a loss against Houston. The 25-year-old University of North Carolina product has served up seven homers in his last five outings and 23 overall in 129 2/3 total innings, but boasts 123 strikeouts. Avisail Garcia is 4-for-6 with a homer versus Thornton, who has given up 14 runs on 23 hits over 11 1/3 innings against the Rays in 2019.
Pruitt was outstanding in his first start of the season Friday when he limited Cleveland to four hits over 5 1/3 scoreless innings with six strikeouts and zero walks without a no-decision. The 30-year-old Texan struggled in his previous outing at Baltimore, permitting six runs on five hits (three homers) across 5 2/3 innings in relief of an opener. Tellez is 2-for-3 against Pruitt, who yielded two hits and struck out one in two scoreless innings versus Toronto on Aug. 5.
WALK-OFFS
1. Toronto 3B Brandon Drury is 12-for-35 with three homers and seven RBIs against the Rays in 2019.
2. Tampa Bay OF Tommy Pham is 10-for-19 with a homer and five RBIs during a five-game hitting streak.
3. Blue Jays OF Derek Fisher is only 12-for-65 since being acquired from Houston, but had his first multi-hit game with club Tuesday.