The Toronto Blue Jays will look to leapfrog the Tampa Bay Rays for third place when they take on their A.L. East rivals Wednesday at Tropicana Field.
Toronto (56-53), three games above .500 for the first time since April 8, turns to Carlos Villanueva (6-2, 3.60), who allowed four runs in five innings but still earned his first win in five starts in an 8-5 victory over Baltimore on Thursday.
Though the right-hander is making his first career start versus Tampa Bay (56-52), he allowed a three-run homer to Ben Zobrist in relief during Toronto's 6-4 loss April 23.
Villanueva has yet to face Tampa Bay outfielder Desmond Jennings, who homered Tuesday and is batting .324 (12 for 37) with two home runs and nine RBIs in 10 games since he was called up from Triple-A Durham on July 23.
James Shields (9-9, 3.03 ERA) gets the start for Tampa Bay, but has struggled of late.
He allowed an unearned run in eight innings against the New York Yankees in his final start prior to the All-Star break but gave up six runs in six innings versus Boston in his next outing.
Shields then snapped a four-start losing streak when he yielded one run in 7 2-3 innings of a 2-1 win over the Yankees on July 21, but matched career highs by surrendering 10 runs and 12 hits in four innings of a 13-4 loss at Oakland last Wednesday.
"It was an all-around terrible job," said Shields, who insisted his latest rough outing had nothing to do with trade rumors involving his name. "The ball was up and they were hitting it. I wasn't sharp all night right from the gates. I did a terrible job."
Shields hopes to find his form from earlier this season when he tossed a four-hitter and struck out seven in a 2-0 win at Toronto on April 24.
He's gone 5-2 with a 3.38 ERA in nine career starts versus Toronto at Tropicana Field.
Pre-Game Notes:
- Evan Longoria is 2 for 24 his last eight games and 3 for 20 versus Toronto in 2011.
- Tampa Bay has dropped of 13 of 20.
- Jose Bautista is 6 for 16 with two homers against Shields.
- Bautista is 8 for 17 with 4 solo home runs and 8 walks against Tampa Bay this season.
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