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Rays-Blue Jays Preview

May 30, 2010 - 11:05 PM By MATT BEARDMORE STATS Writer

Tampa Bay (34-16) at Toronto (29-22), 7:07 p.m. EDT

The Tampa Bay Rays have the major league's best record, but it has little to do with their play at Tropicana Field.

Coming off a disappointing homestand, the Rays open a six-game trip Monday against a Toronto Blue Jays team looking to finish May with another impressive offensive showing.

Despite leading the majors with a 34-17 record, Tampa Bay dropped to 15-12 at home following a Sunday's 8-5 loss to the White Sox.

"Playing not as well here is dumbfounding," Rays manager Joe Maddon said following a 2-5 homestand.

But it's been a different story on the road, where the Rays are a major league-best 19-5. They'll face a Blue Jays club that's won four straight and 10 of 12 at home - and has been going deep often throughout 2010.

Toronto hit three more homers in Sunday's 6-1 win over Baltimore, extending its major league-leading total to 88. The Blue Jays' 53 home runs in May is a franchise record for any month.

"They're locked in at the plate, especially the guys in the middle of the lineup," said Orioles manager Dave Trembley.

Right fielder Jose Bautista, who leads the majors with 16 homers, needs one Monday to set a career high and a franchise record with 13 in one month.

First baseman Lyle Overbay, who has three homers in the last two games, was 3 for 7 with a home run as Toronto (30-22) dropped two of three at Tampa Bay from April 23-25.

The Blue Jays have lost seven straight series to their division rivals, but enter this three-game set having hit 25 homers and scoring 7.3 runs per game in their last nine at Rogers Centre.

That kind of production could benefit Brandon Morrow (3-4, 6.66 ERA), who is 1-2 with a 9.18 ERA in his last four starts. The right-hander, though, has a 2.37 ERA while winning his last three outings at home.

Morrow is 0-1 with a 3.27 ERA in two starts versus Tampa Bay, which counters with Matt Garza (5-3, 2.97)

The right-hander will try to help the Rays reach 20 victories on the road 21 games faster than last season. He walked a season-high five and allowed six runs in Wednesday's 11-3 loss to Boston.

"I gave them five free bases and that's totally not me," Garza told the Rays' official website.

It was the most runs Garza had given up since the Blue Jays scored five in a 6-5 road win on April 23.

Garza is 6-2 with a 1.39 ERA in his last nine starts against Toronto, but after giving up a season-high three homers to the Red Sox, he could find himself in trouble again the way the Blue Jays are hitting.

Rays left fielder Carl Crawford, who matched a season high with four hits Sunday, is batting .303 in his career in Toronto.

Tampa Bay also will be looking for more from Evan Longoria on the road, where he's hitting 275 with three home runs compared to .369 with seven homers at home. Longoria was 6 for 11 versus the Blue Jays last month.

The Blue Jays will try to win five straight at home for the first time since a six-game run from May 15-30, 2009.