Tampa Bay @ Toronto preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 22, 2018 ) Tampa Bay 2, Toronto 5

First baseman Rowdy Tellez is making the best of his first trip to the major leagues and looks to finish off a strong series when the Toronto Blue Jays host the Tampa Bay Rays for the finale of a four-game set Sunday afternoon. Tellez, a 30th-round pick by the Blue Jays in 2013, is 6-for-12 in the series with two homers, two doubles and six RBIs while pushing his batting average to .404 in 16 games since his arrival.

Tellez had three hits and three RBIs to back rookie Thomas Pannone’s strong 6 2/3 innings as Toronto won for the sixth time in eight games overall Saturday, and the second in three tries during the series, with a 5-2 triumph. It won’t be easy for Tellez and the Blue Jays to remain hot Sunday as they face Cy Young candidate Blake Snell, who can pass David Price (20) for the franchise record in wins during one season. Fellow left-hander Ryan Borucki is slated to go for Toronto and he will take on a Rays lineup that had totaled 28 runs in three games before being held down in Saturday’s contest to move to the brink of playoff elimination. Tommy Pham homered for Tampa Bay on Saturday and is 12-for-25 with three blasts, two triples, six runs scored and seven RBIs during a six-game hitting streak.

TV: 1:07 p.m. ET, FS Sun (Tampa Bay), Sportsnet, OMNI (Toronto)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays LH Blake Snell (20-5, 1.97 ERA) vs. Blue Jays LH Ryan Borucki (4-4, 3.86)

Snell has been brilliant since spending a few weeks on the disabled list in late July, allowing eight runs (seven earned) over 50 innings with 66 strikeouts while going 8-0 in nine outings. The 25-year-old Washington native limited Texas to one hit and two walks over five innings last Tuesday, improving to 4-0 with a 1.50 ERA in September. Snell struck out six while pitching five hitless innings to beat Toronto on Aug. 10 and is 3-2 in six career games against the Blue Jays.

Borucki comes in off the best start of his rookie season, limiting Baltimore to three hits and one walk over eight scoreless innings with seven strikeouts last Monday. The 24-year-old Illinois native, who was a 15th-round pick in 2012, owns a 1.77 ERA in three outings this month and boasts four quality starts in his last five tries. Borucki suffered a hard-luck loss in his first career start against Tampa Bay on Sept. 4, giving up two runs on three hits and two walks across six innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. Tampa Bay SS Willy Adames is 10-for-29 with two homers and six RBIs during an eight-game hitting streak.

2. Toronto SS Aledmys Diaz is 9-for-22 with five RBIs over his last eight contests after registering two hits Saturday.

3. Rays CF Kevin Kiermaier was left out of the lineup Saturday due to an undisclosed injury and is day-to-day.

PREDICTION: Rays 6, Blue Jays 1