Blue Jays looking for more ways to stop Rays

The Toronto Blue Jays have a chance to win their first series of the season Sunday afternoon while the visiting Tampa Bay Rays will be trying to avoid losing their first series.

The Rays had their five-game winning streak stopped Saturday when the Blue Jays scored two runs in the seventh and one in the eighth to earn a 3-1 decision.

The Rays have won their first four series of the season, while the best the Blue Jays have done is split a four-game series with the Detroit Tigers and split two games with the Boston Red Sox.

Charlie Morton (2-0, 2.25 ERA) will start Sunday for the Rays, while Marcus Stroman (0-2, 2.41) will try for his first win this season for the Blue Jays.

Morton has allowed four or fewer hits in each of his three starts this season.

The right-hander was 15-3 with a 3.13 ERA and 201 strikeouts -- career bests in all three categories -- in 30 starts with the Houston Astros last season, leading the majors with an .833 winning percentage. He is 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA in three career starts against the Blue Jays. He pitched seven scoreless innings in his only start against them last season.

Stroman will be making his fourth start this season. He was 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA in two starts against Tampa Bay last season. He is 5-5 with a 4.58 ERA in 13 careers starts against the Rays.

The Blue Jays could not score against Blake Snell on Saturday. The left-hander held them to one hit and one walk before being lifted after six innings.

The Blue Jays countered with Clay Buchholz, who was making his first start of the season and held the Rays to one run in six innings.

Buchholz was able to do what many starters have not been able to do this season. He did not allow the Rays to score in the first inning. The Rays had scored in the first inning in the previous seven games and in 10 of their first 14 games this season. They have outscored their opponents 18-1 in the first inning.

"Our offense has done a tremendous job of giving our pitchers on that given night early runs," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "We talked about it 1/8Friday 3/8 where, for whatever reason, right now we seem like we're putting together really strong first and second innings. Our approach right out of the gate has been really solid and when you put those runs on the board, not that it relaxes a pitcher, but I think it's kind of, it gives them some confidence to navigate through tough lineups."

Before the game Saturday, the Blue Jays sent infielder Richard Urena on option to Triple-A Buffalo to make room for Buchholz.

The Blue Jays decided not to risk putting two recently acquired players -- outfielder Socrates Brito or infielder/outfielder Alen Hanson -- on waivers.

Hanson started in right field Saturday and played a single into a triple with an ill-advised diving attempt at a catch.

Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said it is too early to assess Hanson and Brito. "Alen has a little bit more major league experience," Atkins said, "and Socrates, what has stood out, is that there is incredible, incredible upside and potential with him."

--Field Level Media