The Toronto Blue Jays will aim to get their offence back on track when they face the host Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday afternoon.
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The Blue Jays were shut out Friday as the Rays took the series opener 1-0. Jonathan Aranda scored the game’s lone run with a solo homer off Jose Berrios in the sixth inning while six Rays pitchers combined on a five-hitter.
Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk stretched his career-best hit streak to 13 games with a single in the sixth.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who went 1-for-4 with a single in the first, holds a .322 batting average, 12 points back of Kansas City Royals’ Bobby Witt Jr. in the race for the American League title.
Davis Schneider went 0-for-3 at the plate but has been hot over the past 10 games hitting 9-for-34 with a triple and three home runs.
It was the second time in three days the Blue Jays were blanked. Toronto lost 2-0 to the Texas Rangers on Wednesday before turning the tables Thursday to win 4-0 to wrap up that series.
The Blue Jays will send Yariel Rodriguez (1-6, 4.29 ERA) as the rookie right-hander looks to snap his winless drought. Rodriguez has three losses and eight no-decisions over his past 11 starts since recording his first career win on July 6. He pitched 4.1 innings during his most recent outing last Sunday against the St. Louis Cardinals and allowed one run on three hits with a walk and two strikeouts.
The Rays will counter with Taj Bradley (6-11, 4.39 ERA). The right-hander is also looking for his first win since July as he’s picked up the loss in seven of his past nine starts. That includes his most recent trip to the mound last Sunday as he gave up two runs on five hits with three walks and six strikeouts in 4.1 innings against the Cleveland Guardians.
Saturday marks the 12th meeting between the clubs this season with the Rays holding a 7-4 advantage.