Blue Jays at Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays continue the quest for their first playoff appearance since 2013 as they go for an eighth win in nine contests when they host the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night for the second of a four-game set. Austin Meadows snapped a tie with a solo homer in the seventh inning and the Rays went on to take the series opener 6-4, maintaining a half-game lead on Oakland for the American League’s top wild-card spot.
Meadows is 10-for-17 with three homers during his current five-game hitting streak and has punished the Blue Jays all season, batting .444 with six blasts and 13 RBIs in 13 games to help Tampa Bay win nine of those matchups. Former fourth-overall draft pick Brendan McKay returns to the club and will make his ninth major-league start Friday, while Toronto counters with veteran Clay Buchholz, who goes after his second straight victory and 90th of his career. Rookie phenom Bo Bichette launched a pair of homers in the series opener, including a two-run blast to tie the game in the seventh inning, but the Blue Jays fell for the 13th time in 16 contests and dropped to 28-44 on the road. Fellow rookie Vladimir Guerrero Jr. snapped out of a 1-for-12 slump with a triple and an RBI single for Toronto, giving him eight runs batted in over nine games against the Rays this year.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network, Sportsnet (Toronto), FS Sun (Tampa Bay)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Blue Jays RH Clay Buchholz (1-3, 5.45 ERA) vs. Rays LH Brendan McKay (2-3, 5.55)
Buchholz has been solid in two starts since returning from more than 3 1/2 months on the injured list due to a sore shoulder. The 35-year-old Texan gave up two runs over six innings in a loss at Seattle on Aug. 25 before beating Houston six days later while yielding two runs on three hits and five walks across 5 2/3 frames. Meadows is 2-for-5 with an RBI versus Buchholz, who limited Tampa Bay to one run on six hits over six innings in a no-decision on April 13 in his season debut.
McKay gave up one hit, one walk and struck out eight over three innings with Triple-A Durham on Saturday after sitting out two weeks due to shoulder fatigue. The 23-year-old Louisville product struggled in his last two major-league outings, giving up four runs with six walks in four innings at San Diego on Aug. 13 before permitting seven runs (three earned) in two frames six days later versus Seattle. Randal Grichuk and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. homered against McKay on Aug. 7 when he yielded three runs over five innings in a loss.
WALK-OFFS
1. Tampa Bay LF Tommy Pham is 11-for-23 during his six-game hitting streak but left Thursday’s game with right forearm tightness.
2. Toronto C Reese McGuire had three hits in the series opener and is 8-for-13 over his last five contests.
3. Rays 2B Kean Wong was recalled Thursday and went 0-for-2 with a pair of strikeouts in his major-league debut.