Toronto @ Tampa Bay preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 2, 2014 ) Toronto 3, Tampa Bay 0

The Toronto Blue Jays can open their regular season by doing something they haven't done in seven years - winning a series at Tropicana Field. The Blue Jays look to end a 20-series winless drought Thursday night as they face the Rays in the finale of their four-game season-opening set. Toronto will send Brandon Morrow to the mound against fellow right-hander Chris Archer, who comes in fresh off signing a multi-year extension with Tampa Bay.

Morrow has a difficult act to follow after watching veteran left-hander Mark Buehrle come within an out of a complete-game shutout in Wednesday's 3-0 Toronto victory. Not that Morrow needs the motivation - the hard-throwing right-hander is coming off one of the worst seasons of his career, one that saw him make just 10 starts due to a pinched radial nerve in his throwing arm. Toronto has gone 0-19-1 in its last 20 series in St. Petersburg dating back to April 2007.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, RSN (Toronto), Sun Sports (Tampa Bay)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Blue Jays RH Brandon Morrow (2013: 2-3, 5.63 ERA) vs. Rays RH Chris Archer (2013: 9-7, 3.22)

Toronto fans are wary of a pitcher that has made 30 starts in a season just once in his career, but Morrow says he feels good - and looked the part in his final spring start, striking out eight over 5 2/3 innings. "The key with him is health," manager John Gibbons said last month. "That's what's limited him the last couple years. If he's good and strong and makes all his starts, or at least most of them, we've got one of the better pitchers in baseball."

Archer is the latest beneficiary of the Rays' philosophy of locking up young players with remaining arbitration years to long-term deals. The 25-year-old signed a six-year contract Wednesday that will pay him $25.5 million guaranteed and includes team options through the 2020 and 2021 seasons. Archer was one of the most reliable pitchers on the Tampa Bay staff in 2013, allowing three runs or fewer in 18 of his 23 starts.

WALK-OFFS

1. Rays OF Desmond Jennings is 7-of-13 with four solo home runs in his career against Morrow.

2. Toronto needed 73 games to climb above the .500 mark in 2013, and spent just four days there all season.

3. Blue Jays 3B Brett Lawrie is still looking for his first hit of the season, having gone 0-for-10 through the first three games.

PREDICTION: Rays 5, Blue Jays 3