Toronto Blue Jays vs. Tampa Bay Rays

A slow start has severely hampered the Tampa Bay Rays defense of the American League championship while a fast start could not help the Toronto Blue Jays stay atop the AL East. For the first time this season, the divisional rivals will match up, this time in Toronto.

Despite being just seven games over the .500 mark, Tampa Bay (42-35) is in elite offensive company. The Tampa Bay Rays have become the fastest team to ever notch 100 homeruns and 100 steals. They are the fifth team to accomplish this feat prior to the All-Star break since 1954 and are in elite company, every team on the list reached the World Series except for the 1994 Cleveland Indians, who has a 66-47 record when the season was ended due to the players strike.

Their opponent on Monday could put a stop to both the balls flying out of the park and the runners on base, however. Roy Halladay (10-1, 2.53) is tied for the league lead with 10 victories and will start for the first time since he left a game on June 12 in the fourth innings and was placed on the disabled list with a groin strain.

Halladay threw 50 pitches a few days back and is now ready to go back to work against a team he has loved to pitch against, Tampa Bay, who he has posted a 11-7 record with a 3.74 ERA.

Toronto (41-36) was seemingly coming on strong as of late, after their disastrous May road trip finished 0-9 and saw them plummet in the standings. The Toronto Blue Jays also poise a potent offensive attack, especially at home, but that was largely absent in their weekend series against the Philadelphia Phillies in which were shutout on Saturday and were 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position on Sunday.

The Blue Jays offense, meanwhile, struggled over the weekend. After being held to five hits in a 10-0 loss to Philadelphia on Saturday, Toronto went 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position a day later in losing the series finale 5-4.

Toronto will attempt to get the offense jumpstarted against Jeff Niemann (6-4, 4.23), who gave up two runs on three hits and walked four over four innings of work. He received a no-decision in Tampa Bay’s 10-6 win over the New York Mets on June 21st.

The Rays won the season series 11-7 in 2008 on their way to their first ever divisional crown.

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