Tampa Bay @ Toronto preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 26, 2011 ) Tampa Bay 6, Toronto 1

THE STORY: After watching the Tampa Bay Rays litter the Rogers Centre with souvenirs in the series opener, the Toronto Blue Jays may have the right guy on the mound to prevent a similar calamity Saturday. Lefthander Luis Perez takes the hill in his second career start as Toronto looks to bounce back from a one-sided loss Friday. The Rays counter with veteran righthander Jeff Niemann.

TV: 1:07 p.m. ET, SunSports (Tampa Bay), Rogers Sportsnet (Toronto)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Jeff Niemann (8-5, 3.41 ERA) vs. Blue Jays LH Luis Perez (3-2, 3.26).

Niemann saw his personal seven-game winning streak come to an end last time out as he was outdueled by American League Cy Young favorite Justin Verlander in a 5-2 loss to the Detroit Tigers. The 6-foot-9 hurler has been more aggressive with his pitches over the past two months, and it's showing: After recording zero double-digit strikeout games in his first 71 starts, Niemann has three in his past seven outings. Perez comes in facing a Rays club that bashed four home runs in the series curtain raiser. That likely won't faze the 25-year-old, who threw one-hit ball over six dominant innings in his first career major league start six days ago in Oakland. Perez is 2-0 with a 2.50 ERA in nine appearances since the All-Star break, and hasn't surrendered a home run since July 7.

ABOUT THE RAYS (71-59): It has taken only a fifth of the season for Tampa Bay outfielder Desmond Jennings to cement his place as the latest Rays superstar-in-the-making. The 24-year-old homered in Friday's 6-1 triumph, his sixth in 32 games this season. And that's not even the most impressive part of his game: Jennings is hitting a robust .339 through 121 at-bats, with eight doubles, three triples and 13 stolen bases. Jennings enters Saturday on a 10-for-20 tear over his past five games. The Rays have never faced Perez. They come into the game hitting .251 versus left-handed pitching, good for 19th in the majors.

ABOUT THE BLUE JAYS (66-65): Not much is going right in Toronto right now. Center fielder Colby Rasmus will be placed on the 15-day disabled list Saturday with a right wrist injury. Manager John Farrell missed Friday's game with a bout of pneumonia, and may not be able to return until after the weekend. Outfield prospect Travis Snider was diagnosed with tendinitis in his right wrist and is being shut down for the remainder of the season. And even the club's top slugger is having it rough - Jose Bautista was tossed from Friday's game after chirping at the home plate umpire following his third strikeout of the night. Bautista tossed a bat and helmet on the field in protest.

FINAL PITCH: Niemann's outing will be the 733rd consecutive start for the Rays by a pitcher under the age of 30, a major league record.