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Blue Jays hope to extend success over Rays

Jul 12, 2014 - 2:36 PM (Sports Network) - After losing their last two series, the Toronto Blue Jays will try to claim their weekend set with the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on Saturday afternoon.

Drew Hutchinson will take the mound for the visitors in the second contest of the three-game series. He has been solid for the Blue Jays this season, boasting a 3.86 ERA with 93 strikeouts to just 33 walks, but he has just a 6-7 record to show for it.

Hutchinson has lost three of his last four starts, including on July 6 when he allowed eight hits and three earned runs in 5 2/3 innings of work against the Athletics.

Despite allowing 10 hits, seven walks and five earned runs in 5 1/3 innings against Tampa Bay this season, Hutchinson is 2-0 against the AL East rivals.

With David Price battling illness, Jake Odorizzi will move up a day to start against the Blue Jays. Tampa Bay is hoping Price will be well enough to pitch Sunday's finale.

The right-handed Odorizzi had a two-decision winning streak halted on Monday with a 6-0 loss to Kansas City. He yielded only two runs over six innings however, striking out eight batters while falling to 4-8 with a 4.10 ERA on the season.

Odorizzi will make just the second start of his career versus the Blue Jays, getting a no-decision against them prior after allowing three runs over five innings.

The Blue Jays captured a victory in thrilling fashion on Friday night. With the game tied at 5-5 in the ninth, Steve Tolleson, a late replacement for the injured Munenori Kawasaki, put Toronto up with a two-run single. Jose Bautista added an RBI single of his own, and Casey Janssen closed the door in the ninth for his 14th save to lift the road team to an 8-5 win.

"We needed that one," Toronto manager John Gibbons said. "The way things have been going then to blow a comfortable lead, (losing) would have been tough."

Jose Reyes collected three hits out of the leadoff spot to go with two runs scored and two RBI. Bautista had two RBI to give him 54 on the season.

Aaron Loup (3-2) earned the win in relief after starter Mark Buehrle went five innings allowing nine hits and two earned runs.

"I'm frustrated with myself," said Buehrle, an AL All Star. "To go five innings, that's not really called for. I need to go deeper into games to give us a chance to win."

Chris Archer was bailed out of a poor start for Tampa Bay, leaving after five innings with a no-decision after surrendering six hits, three walks and five runs. Grant Balfour (0-3) yielded five base runners in just a third of an inning in the loss.

Sean Rodriguez belted a three-run homer, his ninth of the year, to tie the game in the seventh inning. Ben Zobrist, Logan Forsythe and Brandon Guyer all added two hits in the losing effort.

Toronto has won four in a row versus Tampa Bay and six of eight in the season series.