Toronto @ Tampa Bay preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 3, 2016 ) Toronto 5, Tampa Bay 7

The Tampa Bay Rays have punished one of the top pitching staffs in the American League by posting 15 runs in the first two games of the series, and they go for a sweep when they host the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday. Last-place Tampa Bay scored eight times Friday and held on for a 7-5 victory the following day as they improved to 9-6 against the first-place Blue Jays in 2016.

Leadoff hitter Logan Forsythe is 7-for-11 with five runs scored in his last three contests and Kevin Kiermaier owns a seven-game hitting streak after going deep Saturday for the Rays, who are 12-7 in their last 19 outings. Toronto had won five of six and led the AL East by two games before arriving in Tampa Bay, but it gave up a total of 13 runs in the sixth and seventh innings the last two nights and has fallen into a tie with Boston atop the division. J.A. Happ attempts to end the slide for the Blue Jays as he goes after his 18th victory as he opposes Chris Archer (6-4 lifetime versus Toronto). Blue Jays slugger Josh Donaldson singled during a four-run rally in the ninth inning on Saturday to extend his hitting streak to 12 games.

TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, Sportsnet, TVA (Toronto), FSN Sun (Tampa Bay)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Blue Jays LH J.A. Happ (17-4, 3.23 ERA) vs. Rays RH Chris Archer (8-17, 4.10)

Happ is winless in his last two starts, allowing seven runs and 12 hits over 11 1/3 innings, after going 11-0 in his previous 12 outings. The 33-year-old Northwestern product held Tampa Bay to four hits over six scoreless innings to win on Aug. 10 and is 3-3 lifetime with a 4.87 ERA in 13 games (12 starts) versus the Rays. Logan Morrison is 7-for-14 with four RBIs against Happ, who has given up 20 homers – 13 on the road.

Archer has won three of his last five starts, including last Sunday in Houston as he struck out 10 and limited the Astros to three runs and four hits over seven innings. The 27-year-old, who is 3-9 with a 2.61 ERA at home, has the most losses in the majors and is one away from tying a dubious club record. Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion are a combined 14-for-83 versus Archer, but each has homered three times against him.

WALK-OFFS

1. Despite the rough series, the Blue Jays own a 3.84 team ERA -- second in the AL behind Cleveland.

2. Tampa Bay SS Matt Duffy has recorded 19 hits in as many games since being acquired from San Francisco and six RBIs – three coming Saturday on a bases-clearing double.

3. Toronto RHP Joaquin Benoit, a former Rays closer, has not allowed a run in 14 1/3 innings since being acquired from Seattle and is two shy of 1,000 career strikeouts.

PREDICTION: Blue Jays 4, Rays 3