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Rays hope Longoria can provide a spark in return vs. Blue Jays

May 3, 2011 - 3:06 PM (Sports Network) - The Tampa Bay Rays anticipate getting a big lift tonight, when they begin a three-game home series with the Toronto Blue Jays in hopes of having All-Star third baseman Evan Longoria back in the lineup.

Longoria has been out since April 2 because of a strained left oblique suffered in the second game of the season versus Baltimore. The Gold Glove- winning third baseman is 0-for-5 with a walk and a strikeout, and manager Joe Maddon has been pleased with how the team has played without the slugger.

"The thing that I like is that we've been able to survive to this point without him here," Maddon told the team's site. "So moving forward, you put him back where he's supposed to be and all these other guys have gotten sort of toasty around him. I'd like to believe it's going to obviously benefit us even more. We're absolutely looking forward to having him back."

Longoria has identified the success as well, saying how it's been a positive feeling watching his teammates perform "night in and night out."

Tampa Bay, however, is coming off a losing series versus the LA Angels of Anaheim and dropped a 6-5 decision on Sunday. The Rays scored all five of their runs in the first inning, as Matt Joyce posted three hits, an RBI and a run scored, while B.J. Upton and John Jaso both went 2-for-4 with an RBI.

"Matt (Joyce) is looking good," Maddon said. "He's hitting the ball extremely well and has a lot of confidence up there."

Rays reliever Joel Peralta was saddled with the loss, allowing the go-ahead run on a hit in the eighth inning. Alex Cobb started for Maddon's club and was shelled to the tune of four runs and four hits in 4 1/3 innings. The loss was only the second in eight tries for the ballclub.

Wade Davis will handle pitching duties tonight for Tampa Bay and he's riding a personal three-game winning streak. Davis, who dropped the first two starts of the 2011 campaign, was last in action in Wednesday's 8-2 win at Minnesota and delivered 6 2/3 innings of two-run ball and five strikeouts.

The left-hander, who was coming off back-to-back seven-inning stints, will make his fourth career start against Toronto. Davis is 2-1 with a 2.49 earned run average over the first three.

Toronto has lost two straight and three of five games, including Sunday's 5-2 loss in the finale of a three-game set at Yankee Stadium.

Jesse Litsch got the nod for the Jays and allowed five runs on six hits in six innings to suffer the loss. Litsch was victimized during a four-run fifth inning in which he gave up a three-run homer to Curtis Granderson.

"He's a good hitter. You're going to get got sometimes. It's just a matter of hoping it's not a big situation and that right there was a big situation," Litsch said of the homer to Granderson.

Adam Lind homered and David Cooper collected two hits for Toronto, which is 4-3 on a 10-game road trip.

Jo-Jo Reyes is still searching for his first win since the 2008 season and the first-year Blue Jay is 0-2 with a 5.48 earned run average in five starts. The converted relief pitcher has posted consecutive no-decisions and lasted a season-low 2 2/3 innings the past time out in a 7-6 loss at Texas on April 27.

Reyes was hit for six unearned runs against the Rangers. The left-hander faced Tampa Bay for the first time in his career on April 22 in a 6-4 win and did not receive a decision after allowing four runs in seven frames.

Tampa Bay took two of three contests from Toronto at Rogers Centre from April 22-24 and has won five of the last seven meetings in this series.