Jays hope to carry momentum back home against Rays

Despite coming off a discouraging loss, the Toronto Blue Jays feel there is reason for optimism when they open a three-game series against the visiting Tampa Bay Rays on Friday.

The Blue Jays were encouraged by the way they played while splitting two games against the host Baltimore Orioles this week.

Toronto had Thursday off while the Rays scored twice in the ninth inning to defeat the Boston Red Sox 7-5. Tampa Bay is 3-1 to open its seven-game road trip to Boston and Toronto.

The Rays and Blue Jays split four games at St. Petersburg, Fla., to open the season March 28-31.

The starting pitcher for Toronto in the second game of that season-opening series, right-hander Chris Bassitt (3-5, 5.06 ERA), is slated to take the mound on Friday in the opener of a six-game homestand. He is expected to face Rays left-hander Tyler Alexander (1-2, 5.45), who pitched in the series finale against the Blue Jays in March.

The Blue Jays came within a half-inning on Wednesday of sweeping Baltimore in the series shortened by a rainout on Tuesday. A walk-off, two-run home run in the ninth by Adley Rutschman, however, allowed the Orioles to take the finale 3-2.

"We've played with more life," said Toronto shortstop Bo Bichette, who hit a two-run double on Wednesday. "Not just in this series, but back home against Minnesota, too. There's just a bit more energy, no matter what the score was or the point in the game."

The Blue Jays lost two of three against the visiting Minnesota Twins in a weekend series before they visited Maryland.

Toronto had strong pitching against Baltimore and made some good defensive plays but lacked consistent hitting.

"It's tough to really win two against a team when you don't score a bunch," Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. "But a lot of good signs between our pitching, our defense and the way we drove a really good pitcher out (Kyle Bradish) after four innings.

"Had the bases loaded there (in the fifth) with (Davis) Schneider, couldn't add on, just certain things like that we want to capitalize on. But we came in here and I thought we played really, really well against a good team and at times outplayed them."

Bassitt is 1-3 with a 3.21 ERA in six career games (five starts) against the Rays. He took the loss on March 29 when he allowed five runs (four earned) and six hits over five innings.

Alexander is 0-1 with a 3.86 ERA in five career outings (three starts) against Toronto. In the Rays' 9-2 loss to the Blue Jays on March 31, he did not factor in the decision after entering the game in the second inning and allowing five runs and six hits in five innings.

Alexander, who will either start or work behind an opener on Friday, will be seeking improved results.

"I feel like, and (pitching coach Kyle Snyder has) told me this a couple times and I'm sort of tired of hearing it, that the results haven't really matched how I feel or how I've pitched," Alexander said. "I think there's been a couple outings where I've thrown well, and maybe at the end of the day it doesn't look great.

"There've been a couple outings where I've thrown like crap, and same thing. So, I'm just kind of waiting for it to even out a little bit."

The game could be Alexander's last bulk-inning assignment for a spell. Right-hander Ryan Pepiot (bruised left leg) could rejoin the rotation as soon as Tuesday.