Toronto takes 5-game slide into matchup with Tampa Bay
Toronto Blue Jays (55-87, fourth in the AL East) vs. Tampa Bay Rays (84-59, second in the AL East)
St. Petersburg, Florida; Saturday, 6 p.m. EDT
PITCHING PROBABLES: Blue Jays: Anthony Kay (0-0, 0.00 ERA) Rays: Charlie Morton (14-6, 3.07 ERA)
LINE: Rays -176; over/under is 8 1/2 runs
BOTTOM LINE: Toronto enters the game as losers of their last five games.
The Rays are 36-29 against opponents from the AL East. Tampa Bay has hit 189 home runs as a team this season. Austin Meadows leads the team with 27, averaging one every 17.1 at-bats.
The Blue Jays are 21-35 against AL East Division opponents. Toronto ranks last in the majors in hitting with a .235 batting average, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. leads the team with an average of .276. The Rays won the last meeting 5-0. Pete Fairbanks notched his first victory and Mike Zunino went 1-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs for Tampa Bay. Clay Buchholz registered his fourth loss for Toronto.
TOP PERFORMERS: Meadows leads the Rays with 76 RBIs and is batting .286. Travis d'Arnaud is 8-for-30 with a double, three home runs and 10 RBIs over the last 10 games for Tampa Bay.
Randal Grichuk leads the Blue Jays with 118 hits and has 62 RBIs. Bo Bichette is 11-for-42 with two doubles, two home runs and three RBIs over the last 10 games for Toronto.
LAST 10 GAMES: Rays: 8-2, .271 batting average, 3.30 ERA, outscored opponents by 20 runs
Blue Jays: 2-8, .203 batting average, 4.13 ERA, outscored by 23 runs
Rays Injuries: Blake Snell: (elbow), Tyler Glasnow: (forearm), Yonny Chirinos: (finger), Jose Alvarado: (elbow), Tommy Pham: (forearm), Eric Sogard: (foot), Brandon Lowe: (leg), Yandy Diaz: (foot), Travis d'Arnaud: (neck/shoulder).
Blue Jays Injuries: Matt Shoemaker: (knee), Elvis Luciano: (elbow), Ryan Borucki: (elbow), Lourdes Gurriel Jr.: (quad), Devon Travis: (knee), Luke Maile: (oblique).
