The Toronto Blue Jays are off to a good start this season, but they're already five games back of the lead in the American League East.
The reason? Toronto's next opponent just happens to be on a modern-day, record-tying 13-game win streak to start the year.
The Tampa Bay Rays come to town one win away from history — and they'll face a struggling starter in Jose Berrios to open the series on Friday.
Normally, the second home series of the season can be a bit of a letdown after all the hoopla of the home opener, but it will be a different story this weekend.
Here's a look at the series:
Probable Pitchers
Friday, 7:07 p.m. ET / 4:07 p.m. PT: Toronto RHP Jose Berrios (0-2, 11.17 ERA) vs. Tampa RHP Drew Rasmussen (2-0, 0.00 ERA)
Saturday, 3:07 p.m. ET / 12:07 p.m. PT: Toronto LHP Yusei Kikuchi (1-0, 6.75 ERA) vs. Tampa TBD
Sunday, 1:37 p.m. ET / 10:37 a.m. PT: Toronto RHP Alek Manoah (1-0, 4.91 ERA) vs. Tampa LHP Shane McClanahan (3-0, 1.59 ERA)
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Latest on the Blue Jays
The Blue Jays (8-5) settled for a 2-1 series victory over the visiting Detroit Tigers after a 3-1 loss on Thursday.
After scoring four or more runs six games in a row, the Blue Jays matched their season-low run total — unable to get much going against Tigers starter Spencer Turnbull.
The rare off-night for the offence made Chris Bassitt a bit of a hard-luck loser as he delivered his best start (six innings, two runs, four hits) in three appearances with his new team.
Still, the Blue Jays have won three series in a row and are tied with the New York Yankees for second in the AL East heading into their first divisional series of the season.
Red-hot third baseman Matt Chapman was a late scratch with a viral illness on Thursday, so his status will be worth watching this weekend.
Another concern is that all three Toronto starters this weekend are coming off sub-par outings.
Latest on the Rays
The Rays finally appeared to be in trouble on Thursday when starter Jeffrey Springs exited in the fourth inning with left arm ulnar neuritis (he'll be re-evaluated on Friday) and found themselves trailing 3-1 against the visiting Boston Red Sox heading into the bottom of the fifth.
But then the Rays exploded for a seven-run inning and rolled to a 9-3 victory, matching the 1982 Atlanta Braves and 1987 Milwaukee Brewers for best start to a season — the only longer streak was a 20-gamer by the 1884 St. Louis Maroons of the Union Association.
"We're a small-market team and people around the league not all the time have great things to say about us, but we play together,'' Rays outfielder Manuel Margot said after Thursday's win.
It should come as no surprise that the Rays are doing well as they've made the playoffs the past four seasons.
But nobody expected them to be on this kind of pace, outscoring opponents 101-30 — major-league best totals in runs scored and allowed. They have trailed after just six innings all year.
The whole thing is being met with the usual lack of fans in Tampa — the Rays have a pitiful average attendance of 16,770.
However, The Athletic reports local television viewership is up 26 per cent from this time last year.
It should be noted that the Rays' first four opponents — Boston, Detroit, Washington and Oakland — weren't even close to the playoffs last year.
Switching sides
Former Rays centre fielder Kevin Kiermaier is off to a nice start in Toronto with the bat (.351/.351/.541) and in the field.
A three-time Gold Glover with the Rays, Kiermaier was limited to 63 games because of injury last season.
The 32-year-old signed a one-year, $9-million deal with Toronto this season.
Record-breaking night?
Everything is in Tampa's favour for the Rays to make history on Friday.
Rasmussen has allowed all of three hits in 13 innings this season. He has struck out 15 and walked zero.
Berrios, meanwhile, is off to a poor start after a down year last season, when he was Toronto's Opening Day starter. He might be the biggest concern on the team.
One of Berrios' worst starts last year was late in the season against the Rays when he lasted just two innings and gave up six runs.
The Rays lead the league with 32 home runs and the Rogers Centre is known as a hitter-friendly park — perhaps even more this year with the new dimensions.
Who is this guy?
You get on streaks like the Rays when you get three innings of hitless relief from a 28-year-old rookie making his MLB debut.
That was the case Thursday for Braden Bristo, who was added to the roster the same day. He spent seven years in the New York Yankees' farm system.
2022 Season Series
The Blue Jays were 9-10 against the Rays, but finished six games ahead of Tampa in the race for second in the AL East.
Hot bats
Rays second baseman Brandon Lowe is second in the big leagues in OPS (1.282), just behind Chapman (1.390).
It's also a fun positional head-to-head at shortstop with Tampa's Wander Franco playing the same spot as Toronto's Bo Bichette.
Marquee Matchup
Sunday's series finale pits the 2022 American League All-Star starter (McClanahan) against the guy who came in for the second inning of the mid-season showcase (Manoah).
Both pitchers started on Opening Day for their respective teams this year.
Manoah's been a bit up-and-down in his three start, while McClanahan has allowed just three runs in 17 innings of work.
Last time out against Toronto on Sept. 25, 2022, McClanahan wasn't at his best, giving up four runs on six hits in five innings in a 7-1 loss.
Up next
A stretch of three series in a row against 2022 playoff teams continues Monday when the Blue Jays travel to Houston to start a three-game series against the reigning World Series champion Astros.
— With files from The Associated Press
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