Toronto @ Tampa Bay preview

Last Meeting ( May 6, 2013 ) Toronto 8, Tampa Bay 7

Winning streaks have been hard to come by for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2013 - and to extend their current run, they'll need J.A. Happ to overcome his struggles against the Tampa Bay Rays. Happ looks for his first career win against Tampa Bay as the AL East rivals resume their four-game series Tuesday in St. Petersburg, Fla. Toronto opened with an 8-7 win, rallying from a seven-run deficit to post its first two-game winning streak in nearly a month.

Toronto's largest comeback since June 2007 came at the expense of a Rays bullpen that couldn't make a seven-run third inning stand up. Fernando Rodney surrendered J.P. Arencibia's go-ahead two-run homer in the ninth inning, and manager Joe Maddon took the blame for his closer's struggles. "I really would hope that people understand that he was extended beyond his normal moments right there, and that's pretty much why that happened," Maddon told reporters.

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

PITCHING MATCHUP: Blue Jays LH J.A. Happ (2-2, 3.98 ERA) vs. Rays RH Roberto Hernandez (1-4, 5.28)

The good news for Happ is that he has enjoyed plenty of success against Tampa Bay in the strikeout department, whiffing 13 Rays over 9 1/3 innings. That's about all that has gone right for the 30-year-old lefty, who has also surrendered nine runs on 16 hits in that span. Happ is winless over his last four starts, including a 3 2/3-inning stint against Boston last time out in which he surrendered just two runs on three hits but was pulled after giving up a season-high seven walks.

Hernandez is still trying to recapture the form that led him to a 19-win season with the Cleveland Indians in 2007 when he was known as Fausto Carmona. The 32-year-old is just 8-22 over his last three major-league seasons, and has just one quality outing in five starts in 2013. The long ball was his nemesis in his previous start, as he surrendered five runs on eight hits - three of them homers - in a loss to the White Sox. He's 3-1 with a 4.54 ERA in six all-time starts against Toronto.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Blue Jays have racked up 18 runs over their past two games after crossing the plate just three times over its previous four outings.

2. Toronto's last two seven-run comebacks have both come against Tampa Bay.

3. Evan Longoria hit his third career grand slam Monday. Two of them have come against Toronto.

PREDICTION: Blue Jays 6, Rays 3.