Toronto @ Tampa Bay preview

Last Meeting ( May 28, 2014 ) Tampa Bay 2, Toronto 3

The injury-plagued Toronto Blue Jays look to start turning things around when they visit the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday to begin a three-game series that leads into the All-Star break. The Blue Jays have lost six of their last seven games to drop out of first place in the American League East and Edwin Encarnacion (strained quad), Adam Lind (fractured toe) and Brett Lawrie (fractured finger) are out indefinitely. The Rays are 11-4 in their previous 15 contests, but lost two of the last three.

Toronto trails first-place Baltimore by three games in the AL East and Tampa Bay is 9 1/2 back after giving up three runs in the ninth en route to a 5-4 loss to Kansas City on Wednesday. Jose Reyes and Melky Cabrera boast six-game hitting streaks for the Blue Jays and slugger Jose Bautista is 8-for-22 with two homers against the Rays this season. Tampa Bay, which has lost five of seven against Toronto in 2014, could get shortstop Yunel Escobar (shoulder) back from the disabled list.

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

PITCHING MATCHUP: Blue Jays LH Mark Buehrle (10-6, 2.60 ERA) vs. Rays RH Chris Archer (5-5, 3.16)

Buehrle is 0-5 in his last six starts and has surrendered seven homers with a 3.60 ERA, but lasted at least six innings in each of them and has done that in 16 of 18 outings overall. The 35-year-old is 2-0 while allowing three earned runs in 15 1/3 innings against the Rays this season. Desmond Jennings is 7-for-18 versus Buehrle, who is 10-5 in 24 career appearances (19 starts) with a 4.20 ERA against Tampa Bay.

Archer has allowed two runs or fewer in eight of his last starts, including last time out when he gave up a pair in 8 1/3 innings to defeat Detroit. The North Carolina native still struggles with control at times (42 walks), but has 94 strikeouts in 108 1/3 innings. Reyes is 4-for-7 in his career against Archer, who is 1-0 in two starts versus Toronto this season while yielding four runs in 12 innings with 14 strikeouts.

WALK-OFFS

1. Tampa Bay OF Kevin Kiermaier has eight homers in 45 games in 2014 after hitting six in 136 minor-league contests last season.

2. Toronto OF Nolan Reimold is 4-for-11 with three doubles and as many RBIs in three games since being claimed on waivers from Baltimore.

3. Rays INF-OF Ben Zobrist is 14-for-33 over his last eight games and has 214 career doubles, one behind Carl Crawford for the franchise lead.

PREDICTION: Rays 6, Blue Jays 2