Tampa Bay @ Toronto preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 6, 2010 ) Tampa Bay 1, Toronto 2

It has only been one start, but the 2010 edition of Brad Mills looks much stronger than the one who pitched for Toronto a year ago.

Saturday's matchup should give Blue Jays fans a much better indication.

Mills looks to build off a strong outing last time out as he leads Toronto into the second of a three-game series with the visiting Rays at the Rogers Centre. The Jays come in having won three of their last four games, while Tampa Bay will be looking to avoid a season-high fourth loss in a row.

For Mills, the Rays should provide the stiffest test of his brief major-league career. It has been a tale of two seasons for the the 25-year-old left-hander, who was recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas when it was announced Jesse Litsch was out for the remainder of the season with a hip injury.

Mills made his major-league debut last June and was promptly thumped in back-to-back outings against the Philadelphia Phillies, returning to Triple-A with an 0-1 record and a 14.09 ERA.

His first start of the 2010 season couldn't have been any different. Mills baffled Baltimore hitters throughout, allowing just two hits over seven shutout innings to earn his first career major-league victory. Mills walked three and struck out four in the 5-0 Toronto victory.

Mills will catch a bit of a break Saturday, as the Rays will continue to be without first baseman Carlos Pena. The veteran slugger, who has 23 home runs so far this season, suffered a plantar fascia injury in his right foot late last month and will be out of action until at least the middle of August.

Tampa could have used his pop Friday night as they dropped a 2-1 decision in the series opener. Brett Cecil limited the Rays to just a run on four hits over seven innings, striking out nine. Lyle Overbay doubled home the winning run in the seventh inning for Toronto, which improved to 4-6 against the Rays this season.

Tampa starter Matt Garza went the distance on a four-hitter, but his botched throw to first base in the seventh allowed Jose Bautista to reach base. He would come around to score on Overbay's double.

The Rays will be looking for better fielding prowess from Saturday starter James Shields (10-9). The 28-year-old is among the American League leaders with 133 strikeouts – including 11 in his previous start, a 3-0 win over the Yankees in which he allowed just four hits over 7 1/3 shutout innings.

Shields has won three straight starts, something he hadn't done since the first month of the season.

The 6-foot-4 right-hander has a 6-4 career mark against the Blue Jays, with a 3.57 ERA over 90 2/3 innings. Shields hasn't faced them yet this year, but earned a victory in their last meeting on Sept. 18 of last season. He surrendered four runs in six innings in that one but had plenty of offensive help as the Rays walloped Toronto 11-4.