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Rays-Blue Jays Preview

Aug 24, 2009 - 12:23 AM By ALAN FERGUSON STATS Writer

Tampa Bay (67-55) at Toronto (56-65), 7:07 p.m. EDT

Thanks to a successful homestand, the Tampa Bay Rays are challenging for the AL wild card lead.

To charge to the top, the Rays could use some wins away from home, but those victories have proved elusive since their previous trip to Toronto.

Tampa Bay returns to Rogers Centre on Monday night and will try to continue its success against the Blue Jays, but that won't be easy as it draws yet another matchup with Toronto ace Roy Halladay.

After winning six times on a nine-game homestand, the Rays (67-56) are battling Boston and Texas for the wild card as they open a seven-game road trip.

With a rare off day from its hitters, Tampa Bay fell 4-0 to the Rangers on Sunday. The Rays managed five hits after batting .300 while winning six of their previous seven.

The defending AL champions have dropped four straight and six of seven on the road since taking the first two games of a three-game series in Toronto from July 24-25. They have beaten the Jays in nine of 12 meetings this season - four of six at Rogers Centre - and 20 of 30 since the start of 2008.

Tampa Bay, however, will face Halladay (13-6, 2.78 ERA) for the fifth time this season Monday. The right-hander is 1-2 with a 2.10 ERA in his four starts against the Rays, who dealt him losses in the first two matchups.

After getting four runs in the first three meetings, Halladay beat Tampa Bay 5-2 on the road Aug. 14, allowing both runs over eight innings.

Halladay, though, is coming off one of his worst outings of the season, giving up five runs in five innings in Wednesday night's 6-1 loss to visiting Boston. It was the second time this season he failed to pitch six innings and first since straining his groin against Florida on June 12.

"I was trying to make quality pitches and I just didn't do it," he said. "I just did a bad job of pitching ahead, aggressively."

Halladay, trying to avoid losing consecutive starts for the second time this season, has beaten Tampa Bay once in the last six home matchups. He's 1-2 with a 3.61 ERA in those games.

Rays rookie right-hander Jeff Niemann (11-5, 3.71) will oppose Halladay again after helping hand him one of those defeats by outdueling him in a 4-1 win in Toronto on June 29, allowing one run over 7 1-3 innings. He also lost 5-1 on July 26 at Rogers Centre while giving up five runs over 6 2-3 innings.

That's the only defeat Niemann has suffered in 12 starts dating to June 3. He earned his seventh win in that span Wednesday night at home against Baltimore and became the first rookie in the majors to reach 11 victories.

In posting his first win since Aug. 1, he gave up one run while pitching into the eighth inning for the seventh time this season.

"He's just in control," manager Joe Maddon said. "Very solid all the way through. His work has been excellent, both physically and mentally."

With one victory in this three-game series, the Rays will post a winning record in Toronto for the first time since going 6-4 in 2003.