• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Blue Jays-Rays Preview

Apr 23, 2010 - 5:57 AM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

Toronto (9-7) at Tampa Bay (11-4), 7:10 p.m. EDT

It might be hard for Tampa Bay to play any better than it did on its first road trip of the season. However, with Matt Garza on the mound and Toronto in town, the Rays might be able to do so.

They look to build on that successful trip while trying for a sixth straight home win over the Blue Jays on Friday night.

After splitting a six-game homestand to open the season, Tampa Bay (12-4) concluded a 9-1 road swing with a 10-2 win at Chicago on Thursday.

Off to its best start ever, Tampa Bay returns home after outscoring Baltimore, Boston and the White Sox 69-23 on the trip.

"Our group is very hungry," said manager Joe Maddon, whose team missed the playoffs last season after winning the AL pennant in 2008. "They're not satisfied. We did not like last year. We're very motivated."

Facing Toronto (9-7) could help the Rays carry their success from the road back to Tropicana Field. Though the Blue Jays won the final five of their opening six-game trip to Texas and Baltimore earlier this month, they went 1-8 at Tampa Bay in 2009.

Toronto has been outscored 31-10 during its five-game skid at Tropicana Field.

Garza (3-0, 0.75 ERA) is 6-3 with a 1.70 ERA versus the Blue Jays. He's 3-0 with a 1.27 ERA in his last four starts against them.

The right-hander has been the AL's top pitcher on the young season, giving up two earned runs in 24 innings. He allowed four hits in eight scoreless innings of a 7-1 win at Boston on Sunday.

"He's got such great stuff," catcher Dioner Navarro told the Rays' official website. "He stays under control like he did (Sunday), he's going to be very helpful for us."

Toronto's Aaron Hill is 6 for 18 against Garza, and is expected to come off the disabled list from a hamstring injury Friday. An All-Star last season, Hill has gone 1 for 8 in two games in 2010.

Toronto's Vernon Wells is batting .339 with seven homers this season, but is 4 for 20 against Garza.

The Blue Jays, who concluded a 4-6 homestand with a 4-3, 10-inning loss to Kansas City on Wednesday, give the ball to Brett Cecil for the first time this season Friday.

Cecil, who went 7-4 with a 5.30 ERA as a rookie last year, began this season in the minors and was called up after Brian Tallet was placed on the disabled list with a forearm injury. Cecil was 1-0 with a 3.38 ERA in three spring training games, but was unable to crack the rotation.

"This kid pitched well enough to make this ballclub. There just wasn't room for him," manager Cito Gaston told the Blue Jays' official website. "Hopefully, he comes back and still has the confidence that he had when he left."

The left-hander is 1-1 with a 4.91 ERA against Tampa Bay. All three appearances came at home in 2009.

Carlos Pena, 2 for 5 with two home runs against Cecil, had two hits and drove in four runs Thursday for Tampa Bay. He's 4 for 13 with three home runs and seven RBIs in his last four games against the Blue Jays.

Tampa Bay's Carl Crawford, who hit .385 on the trip, is a lifetime .353 hitter at home against Toronto.