Tampa Bay @ Toronto preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 4, 2016 ) Toronto 5, Tampa Bay 3

The Toronto Blue Jays need to turn things around quickly in their quest for a second straight American League East title, and to avoid missing the playoffs. The stumbling Blue Jays have lost seven of their last nine as they prepare to host the last-place Tampa Bay Rays on Monday to begin a critical three-game series before heading to the West Coast for the next seven contests.

Edwin Encarnacion belted two homers in Toronto’s 11-8 loss on Sunday to the first-place Boston Red Sox, who they trail by two games in the AL East race. Devon Travis owns an eight-game hitting streak (15-for-35) for the Blue Jays, who are tied with Baltimore for the top wild-card spot – two games clear of Detroit and the New York Yankees. The Rays avoided a four-game sweep at the Yankees over the weekend with a 4-2 victory on Sunday. Corey Dickerson is 10-for-20 with a homer and four RBIs in the last five games while Logan Forsythe is batting .451 with four homers against Toronto this season.

TV: 7:07 p.m. ET, FSN Sun (Tampa Bay), TVA Sports, Sportsnet (Toronto)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Jake Odorizzi (9-6, 3.86 ERA) vs. Blue Jays LH Francisco Liriano (7-12, 5.27)

Odorizzi lost for the first time since the All-Star break last time out, allowing seven runs on six hits and three walks over four innings against Baltimore. The 26-year-old had yielded 14 total runs in his previous nine starts while completing at least six innings in eight of them. Travis is 5-for-9 against him and Jose Bautista (2-for-22) has struggled versus Odorizzi, who is 1-0 with a 2.35 ERA in four starts against Toronto in 2016.

Liriano is back on the mound as a starter for the first time since Aug. 26 after two relief appearances as he looks for his second win since being acquired from Pittsburgh. The 32-year-old Dominican Republic native gave up 13 runs (10 earned) over 22 2/3 innings in his first four starts with the Blue Jays. Newly-acquired Alexei Ramirez is 14-for-33 versus Liriano, who is 2-3 with a 5.32 ERA in nine games (eight starts) lifetime against the Rays.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Rays have won nine of 16 against the Blue Jays in 2016 and need one victory to win the season series for the eighth time in nine years.

2. Toronto SS Troy Tulowitzki is 10-for-23 in his last six games after knocking in four runs on Sunday.

3. Tampa Bay 1B Logan Morrison left Sunday’s game with a strained left wrist and is out indefinitely.

PREDICTION: Rays 7, Blue Jays 4