Blue Jays-Rays Preview
Not only is reigning AL MVP Josh Donaldson outstanding against left-handed pitchers, he's facing one Friday night that he has enjoyed success against. The slugger homered earlier this month against Tampa Bay Rays starter Drew Smyly as his Toronto Blue Jays open a three-game series at Tropicana Field. Donaldson is tied for third in the AL with a .421 average off lefties and sports a .947 slugging percentage for one of baseball's best marks. He is 6 for 11 with two homers and two doubles off Smyly, including a solo shot in a 5-3 victory at Tampa Bay (10-11) on April 4. Donaldson went deep twice in that four-game series, finishing 4 for 16 with seven strikeouts. Striking out has been a team-wide issue for Toronto, which is second in the majors with 217. The Blue Jays (10-13) struck out 31 times in getting swept by the Chicago White Sox in three games following Wednesday's 4-0 defeat. They have scored one run in their last 24 innings. ''They just outplayed us the last couple of days, pure and simple,'' manager John Gibbons said. Smyly could be poised to add to Toronto's strikeout woes with 28 over his last 22 innings. He has fared much better since giving up five runs over 6 2/3 innings in the start versus the Blue Jays earlier this month, posting a 1.23 ERA in three outings since. The southpaw notched his first win Sunday by yielding a run in seven innings of an 8-1 rout of the New York Yankees. "I think I'm just starting to kind of understand the hitters, starting to understand myself, have more of a game plan out there," Smyly said. "Every game with experience you learn something new, you get better and better. I'm feeling healthy and things are going well." Smyly is 6-2 with a 2.02 ERA in 15 starts against AL East foes with Tampa Bay. He has limited Jose Bautista to a single in seven at-bats and Edwin Encarnacion to two in seven. Bautista is mired in a 4-for-27 slump for the Blue Jays, losers of six of eight. The Rays are playing their fourth straight series against an East opponent while the Blue Jays have already played 17 games within the division. ''We're all being tested early on because of the back and forth, playing each other within the division,'' Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said. The Rays are also searching for offense after totaling six runs and batting .180 with 27 strikeouts while winning two of three from Baltimore, falling 3-1 on Wednesday. Tampa Bay has scored 16 of its last 19 runs with two outs and its .510 slugging percentage with two outs is tops in the AL. The Rays will get another look at Aaron Sanchez (1-1, 3.33), who yielded one run with eight strikeouts in seven innings in a no-decision April 5 in a 3-2 loss in which his bullpen blew a one-run lead. Evan Longoria is 1 for 11 against the right-hander, who allowed four runs over 20 innings in his first three starts before being charged for six over 4 1/3 in last Friday's 8-5 loss to Oakland. |