Tampa Bay @ Toronto preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 23, 2014 ) Tampa Bay 4, Toronto 5

The Toronto Blue Jays are starting to perk up on offense and look to win only their second series in August when they host the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday in the rubber match of a three-game set. The Blue Jays, who are still last in the majors in scoring this month, have posted at least five runs in five of their last seven games after a 5-4 victory in 10 innings Saturday. Toronto's Jose Reyes had the game-winning single in that contest and is batting .397 with 29 hits over his last 16 games.

The Blue Jays, who are 1-4-1 in series during August, stand 4 ½ games behind Seattle for the second wild-card in the American League. The Rays are 7 ½ games out in the race for the AL’s second wild card after losing five of their last seven contests. Tampa Bay’s Evan Longoria was 0-for-5 on Saturday, but boasts 10 RBIs in his last nine contests.

TV: 1:07 p.m. ET; Sun Sports (Tampa Bay), SNET (Toronto)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Chris Archer (8-6, 3.17 ERA) vs. Blue Jays RH Drew Hutchison (8-11, 4.81)

Archer gave up five runs over five innings without getting a decision on July 11 against Toronto – his only outing in the last nine in which he permitted more than three earned runs. The 25-year-old is 2-0 with a 2.19 ERA in four August starts and has yielded only six homers in 150 1/3 frames this season. Reyes is 6-for-10 versus Archer, who is 2-0 in six starts with a 3.24 ERA all-time against the Blue Jays.

Hutchison has struggled in losing his last two starts while surrendering 13 runs over 12 2/3 innings and allowing three homers. The Florida native shut out the Rays in his season debut over 5 1/3 innings, but since has given up 11 runs in 10 1/3 frames despite going 1-1 against them. Desmond Jennings is 3-for-4 with a homer versus Hutchison, who has 127 strikeouts and 47 walks over 144 innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. Blue Jays’ OF Jose Bautista is 0-for-7 with two strikeouts and no walks in the series after reaching base in 27 consecutive contests.

2. Tampa Bay INF-OF Ben Zobrist has an RBI in each game of the series, reaching 500 for his career, and is 14 shy of 1,000 hits.

3. Toronto OF Melky Cabrera has collected at least two hits in four of his last six games and nine of 16.

PREDICTION: Rays 6, Blue Jays 2