• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Rays-Blue Jays Preview

Jul 25, 2009 - 5:01 AM By MATT BEARDMORE STATS Writer

Tampa Bay (52-44) at Toronto (47-49), 1:07 p.m. EDT

After being on the wrong end of a perfect game and then facing one of the majors' top pitchers on consecutive days, the Tampa Bay Rays would likely welcome a less challenging mound opponent.

They may have found that with Blue Jays struggling left-hander Brian Tallet.

Tampa Bay goes for its fifth straight victory over Toronto on Saturday afternoon when the AL East foes continue their three-game set at Rogers Centre.

Coming off a 5-0 loss to the Chicago White Sox on Thursday when Mark Buehrle threw a perfect game against them, the Rays had little time to dwell on their 0-for-27 effort, especially with Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay scheduled for Friday's series opener.

"It is just one game," manager Joe Maddon told the Rays' official Web site following Thursday's loss. "We have not been swinging the bat generally well lately, and (the White Sox) just got us today."

Tampa Bay (53-44) batted .165 as it dropped three of four in Chicago.

While Halladay wasn't perfect in Friday's 4-2, 10-inning loss, he struck out 10 and limited the Rays to four hits in nine innings.

"It's a tough two games in a row, Buehrle and Roy," said Rays third baseman Evan Longoria, who hit the go-ahead, two-run double off Scott Downs in the 10th. "Once we got the first hit out of the way today (Carl Crawford's one-out single in the first) it was kind of like 'All right, we can get back to playing our game now."'

The Rays didn't have much problem doing that against Tallet (5-6, 4.95 ERA) in their last meeting.

Making his first career start versus the Rays on July 8 after 13 relief appearances against them, the left-hander was tagged for eight runs and 11 hits before being chased after three innings.

"I don't know who was pitching worse, (Tallet) or the kid across the way (Rays left-hander Scott Kazmir)," Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston told the teams' official Web site following the 10-9 loss. "Both of them were lighting it up, that's for sure. It was kind of a race of who was going to get run out of there first."

Tallet is 1-3 with a 7.06 ERA in his last six starts and Toronto (47-50) has lost 11 of his last 15 outings.

Tampa Bay counters with David Price (3-4, 4.86), who is looking to bounce back from Monday's 4-3 loss to the White Sox. The rookie left-hander struck out six in six innings and scattered eight hits, including a three-run home run to Paul Konerko in the third inning.

Price has lost four of his last six starts.

"Losing is the worst," he said. "I don't care. I'm not satisfied with this. I don't want to even take this as progress. Six innings and four runs is unacceptable for me."

In a 3-2 victory over the Blue Jays on July 9, though, Price had seven strikeouts and yielded one run and six hits.

Tampa Bay has won six of seven against Toronto in 2009, including three of four at Rogers Centre.