Preview: Blue Jays (10-13) at Rays (10-11)
Game: 2
Venue: Tropicana Field
Date: April 30, 2016 6:10 PM EDT
It took five starts for Chris Archer to make it six innings and set his team up for a win. J.A. Happ's encouraging return to the AL is a start away from reaching that length with nothing but consistency.
The Tampa Bay Rays ace and the Toronto Blue Jays returnee face off Saturday night at Tropicana Field as the visitors try to secure a series win.
Archer (1-4, 5.47 ERA) lost his first four starts before limiting Baltimore to five hits in 6 2/3 innings of Monday's 2-0 home win. Catcher Curt Casali said working in an effective changeup was key to throwing hitters off. In his career, he's thrown it 6.6 percent of the time, but he's at 11.1 this year.
"I think the book has become fastball-slider, those are his money pitches," Casali told MLB's official website. "But as you guys saw tonight, he can definitely mix in that changeup, and that opens up a whole other window for him."
The right-hander struck out 10 - four of the first five on that changeup - and walked none after issuing 11 in 19 2/3 innings of his first four outings.
"Baseball presents challenges like that all the time," Archer said. "... That's why baseball is such a beautiful game. Anything can happen on any night. That's why you don't dwell on what happened yesterday. You just look forward and trust that you're going to have positive results all the time."
He opened the season against the Blue Jays, giving up three runs - two earned - and five hits with 12 strikeouts in five innings of a 5-3 home loss on April 3. Archer issued three walks and racked up 107 pitches to fall to 0-3 with a 6.10 ERA in his last four starts in the series after opening his career against Toronto 5-1 with a 2.51 through 12 starts.
Russel Martin (2 for 14), Michael Saunders (1 for 7), Jose Bautista (5 for 34), Josh Donaldson (3 for 20), Edwin Encarnacion (6 for 39) and Ryan Goins (3 for 19) are hitting a combined .150 against Archer.
He might need to be in that ballpark to beat Happ (3-0, 2.42), who pitched for Toronto from 2012-14 before splitting time with Seattle and Pittsburgh last year. The left-hander has won his last three starts after a no-decision in his opener in Tampa.
Happ gave up a season-high three runs and seven hits in seven innings of last Saturday's 9-3 home win over Oakland.
"The common denominator in every start is if I fill up the strike zone, I'm pretty successful," Happ said.
Happ is 0-1 with a 2.08 ERA in his last four starts against the Rays after starting his career 2-1 with a 6.75 mark in five starts and a relief appearance.
Logan Morrison (7 for 14), Evan Longoria (8 for 21) and Steve Pearce (8 for 22 with three home runs) have all hit him well, but Logan Forsythe is 2 for 16.
The Blue Jays (11-13) opened the three-game series with Friday's 6-1 victory, snapping a three-game losing streak with some respectable offense after being limited to a run and eight hits in their previous two games. Saunders is batting .400 in his last seven.
The Rays (10-12) are now the team sputtering at the plate with two runs scored in consecutive losses while batting .202 in their last four. Morrison is still seeking his first multihit game and is batting .100 with eight total bases, but Forsythe is hitting .419 in his last eight.
Game: 2
Venue: Tropicana Field
Date: April 30, 2016 6:10 PM EDT
It took five starts for Chris Archer to make it six innings and set his team up for a win. J.A. Happ's encouraging return to the AL is a start away from reaching that length with nothing but consistency.
The Tampa Bay Rays ace and the Toronto Blue Jays returnee face off Saturday night at Tropicana Field as the visitors try to secure a series win.
Archer (1-4, 5.47 ERA) lost his first four starts before limiting Baltimore to five hits in 6 2/3 innings of Monday's 2-0 home win. Catcher Curt Casali said working in an effective changeup was key to throwing hitters off. In his career, he's thrown it 6.6 percent of the time, but he's at 11.1 this year.
"I think the book has become fastball-slider, those are his money pitches," Casali told MLB's official website. "But as you guys saw tonight, he can definitely mix in that changeup, and that opens up a whole other window for him."
The right-hander struck out 10 - four of the first five on that changeup - and walked none after issuing 11 in 19 2/3 innings of his first four outings.
"Baseball presents challenges like that all the time," Archer said. "... That's why baseball is such a beautiful game. Anything can happen on any night. That's why you don't dwell on what happened yesterday. You just look forward and trust that you're going to have positive results all the time."
He opened the season against the Blue Jays, giving up three runs - two earned - and five hits with 12 strikeouts in five innings of a 5-3 home loss on April 3. Archer issued three walks and racked up 107 pitches to fall to 0-3 with a 6.10 ERA in his last four starts in the series after opening his career against Toronto 5-1 with a 2.51 through 12 starts.
Russel Martin (2 for 14), Michael Saunders (1 for 7), Jose Bautista (5 for 34), Josh Donaldson (3 for 20), Edwin Encarnacion (6 for 39) and Ryan Goins (3 for 19) are hitting a combined .150 against Archer.
He might need to be in that ballpark to beat Happ (3-0, 2.42), who pitched for Toronto from 2012-14 before splitting time with Seattle and Pittsburgh last year. The left-hander has won his last three starts after a no-decision in his opener in Tampa.
Happ gave up a season-high three runs and seven hits in seven innings of last Saturday's 9-3 home win over Oakland.
"The common denominator in every start is if I fill up the strike zone, I'm pretty successful," Happ said.
Happ is 0-1 with a 2.08 ERA in his last four starts against the Rays after starting his career 2-1 with a 6.75 mark in five starts and a relief appearance.
Logan Morrison (7 for 14), Evan Longoria (8 for 21) and Steve Pearce (8 for 22 with three home runs) have all hit him well, but Logan Forsythe is 2 for 16.
The Blue Jays (11-13) opened the three-game series with Friday's 6-1 victory, snapping a three-game losing streak with some respectable offense after being limited to a run and eight hits in their previous two games. Saunders is batting .400 in his last seven.
The Rays (10-12) are now the team sputtering at the plate with two runs scored in consecutive losses while batting .202 in their last four. Morrison is still seeking his first multihit game and is batting .100 with eight total bases, but Forsythe is hitting .419 in his last eight.
