Toronto @ Tampa Bay preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 18, 2020 ) Tampa Bay 0, Toronto 0

The Tampa Bay Rays might be the team best suited to make a run in a short season and are gearing up to challenge the New York Yankees in the American League East. The Toronto Blue Jays, who visit the Rays on Friday in the opener of the 60-game regular season, are hoping to jump into that race with a promising young lineup and an improving rotation.

Tampa Bay won 96 games and made the playoffs as a wild card in 2019 before falling to the Houston Astros in five games in the Division Series and returns most of a pitching staff that led the American League in ERA (3.65) last season - led by starters Charlie Morton, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow. That staff took a bit of a hit on Tuesday, when it was announced that left-handed reliever Colin Poche - the only pitcher to appear in all five ALDS games last fall - would miss the season after suffering a torn ulnar collateral ligament. The Blue Jays are homeless after Canada denied them approval to travel back and forth to the United States and the team was denied the chance to share a home stadium with the Pittsburgh Pirates by the Pennsylvania government, leaving them searching for more options. Toronto integrated a trio of rookies with major league bloodlines last season in Bo Bichette, Cavan Biggio and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and upgraded the rotation by signing left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu, who led the majors with a 2.32 ERA last season, to a four-year, $80 million deal.

TV: 6:40 p.m. ET, Sportsnet, FS Sun

PITCHING MATCHUP: Blue Jays LH Hyun-Jin Ryu (2019: 14-5, 2.32 ERA) vs. Rays RH Charlie Morton (2019: 16-6 3.05)

Ryu did not allow more than two earned runs in any of his first 15 starts for the Los Angeles Dodgers last season and Toronto is hoping for a similar hot start in the shortened season. The South Korea native made 29 starts in 2019 - his most since posting 30 during his 2013 rookie campaign - and has yet to reach 200 innings in his career. The 33-year-old spent his first six seasons with the Dodgers and is 4-4 with a 3.84 ERA against AL opponents but will be seeing Tampa Bay for the first time.

Morton finished third in the AL Cy Young Award voting last season after posting career highs in wins, ERA, innings pitched (194 2/3) and strikeouts (240) and is making his first career opening day start. "It does mean a lot," Morton told reporters of starting the opener. "It's one of those things that you would like to experience at least one time. Kind of like being an All-Star, you want to experience that at least one time. It's really one of those things - it's an honor to do it and to just have the opportunity for your organization and your family, and just the game in general." The only AL East team Morton failed to earn a win against in 2019 was the Blue Jays, against whom he posted a 0-1 record with a 3.06 ERA in three starts.

WALK-OFFS

1. Blue Jays 3B Brandon Drury (undisclosed) is on the 10-day injured list, but is with the team and could be activated for the opener.

2. Rays RHP Yonny Chirinos and OF Austin Meadows are two key contributors expected to open the season on the IL after testing positive for COVID-19.

3. Tampa Bay had its way with Toronto in 2019, taking 13 of the 19 meetings.

PREDICTION: Rays 4, Blue Jays 3