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Rays-Blue Jays Preview

Jul 24, 2009 - 12:36 AM By KATE HEDLIN STATS Writer

Tampa Bay (52-43) at Toronto (47-48), 7:07 p.m. EDT

Though Roy Halladay's last start had all the emotion of a last hurrah, not only is he still with the Toronto Blue Jays, but now they don't anticipate a deal being made for their ace.

Potential suitors get what is likely to be their final look at Halladay before he's taken off the market when Toronto opens a three-game series with the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday.

Although talks about Halladay (11-3, 2.73 ERA) leaving Toronto (47-49) continue to circulate as the July 31 trade deadline approaches, the Blue Jays now believe the 2003 AL Cy Young Award winner will ultimately remain in Toronto.

"I think at this point, it's probably unlikely that we'll trade Doc," general manager J.P. Ricciardi said. "As you get closer and closer to the deadline, no one's really stepped up yet, and at that point, I think time starts running out on you.

"We've got to be highly motivated to move him, so we haven't been highly motivated yet."

Ricciardi added the Blue Jays have set an internal deadline of July 28 for a potential trade to keep Halladay from going into his next start July 29 with the situation still looming.

The primary reason Toronto is trying to trade the two-time 20-game winner, according to Ricciardi, is Halladay's desire to test the free-agent market after next season. It appears everyone will have to wait until after this game for Halladay to further discuss his free-agent status.

"I'm not addressing it," he said Thursday. "I don't even know what (Ricciardi) said. I'll (talk) after I pitch."

Halladay didn't seem to be feeling any pressure Sunday against Boston when he threw a six-hitter and struck out seven in a 3-1 victory. He tipped his cap to Rogers Centre fans before leaving the field, but denied he was saying goodbye.

His only two losses in his last 14 starts both came against the team he faces Friday. Of Halladay's last four outings, he has been beaten twice by the Rays (52-44) despite allowing five runs and striking out 15 in 13 innings.

Halladay is 11-9 with a 3.73 ERA lifetime against them. Carl Crawford has hit .310 (22 for 71) against him, including 3 for 7 with a home run this season.

The Rays, though, failed to get a runner on base Thursday as they were the victims of the 18th perfect game in major league history, losing 5-0 to Mark Buehrle and the Chicago White Sox.

Tampa Bay had won seven of nine before dropping three of four in Chicago, scoring nine runs and hitting .165 with 30 strikeouts in the series. Ben Zobrist, who was 16 for 35 (.457) with six RBIs in the previous nine contests, went 3 for 14 (.214) against the White Sox.

Matt Garza (6-7, 3.80) will take the mound for the Rays on Friday seeking his first win in four starts. The right-hander pitched five innings against Kansas City on Sunday, allowing three runs while issuing five walks in a 4-3 victory.

Garza's last win came in Toronto on June 30, when allowed one run in seven innings of a 4-1 victory. That's his only outing versus the Blue Jays this season after dominating all five of his starts against them in 2008, yielding two runs in 38 innings.

The Rays have won five of six against the Blue Jays this year, including two of three at Toronto in June.

The Blue Jays are coming off a series loss to Cleveland, dropping two of three after falling 5-4 on Thursday. They had two errors in that defeat and gave up four unearned runs in the series.

"We pretty much gave away (two games) as far as we played on defense," manager Cito Gaston said.