September Randal Grichuk Jersey , starting Monday night at the Rogers Centre.If it seems like the Rays and the Jays were playing at the Rogers Centre only a short time ago, it is because they were.It was only three weeks ago when the Rays won two games from the Blue Jays in a three-game series Aug. 10-12.Article continues below ...Through a scheduling quirk, they will be back at it again starting Monday with a three-game series as Toronto’s Marcus Stroman (4-8, 5.27 ERA) will come off the disabled list (right middle finger blister) to start for the first time since Aug. 17. The Rays had not named their starter for Monday night.And if Toronto fans have not seen enough of the Rays, the teams will be playing again in a four-game series Sept. 20-23. Then the teams will return to St. Petersburg, Fla., for a three-game series Sept. 28-30 at Tropicana Field that will complete the season.Not that everything is the same with the teams. The Blue Jays, for instance, made two trades on Friday. They sent third baseman Josh Donaldson, who has been injured for most of the season, to the Cleveland Indians and outfielder Curtis Granderson to the Milwaukee Brewers. Those teams have postseason aspirations and the Blue Jays are rebuilding, or transitioning.Both teams are coming off victories.The Blue Jays (62-74) enter the series against the Rays after a 6-1 victory Sunday over the Miami Marlins to complete a 2-4 road trip that included being swept in a three-game series by the Baltimore Orioles.The Rays (73-63) defeated the Indians 6-4 on Sunday in the rubber match of a three-game series at Progressive Field. They have won 11 of their past 13 games to go a season-best 10 games above .500.Stroman allowed five runs in four innings at Yankee Stadium before going on the DL with a blister problem that has been hampering him for quite some time.His previous start, on Aug. 12, was the only one he has made against the Rays this season. He allowed one run and five hits in five innings in a no-decision Jose Bautista Jersey , a game the Blue Jays won 2-1.In 12 career starts against the Rays, Stroman is 5-4 with a 4.20 ERA.In a rubber match with the Miami Marlins on Sunday, Sean Reid-Foley struck out 10 in a seven-inning outing for his first win in his third major league start. He is the first Blue Jays starter to pitch seven innings since Aug. 22.Starting pitching has been a weak spot for the Blue Jays lately and has been a disappointment most of the season.“Our starting pitching has been getting hit around pretty good the past 10 days or so and gets us behind the eight ball,” Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said after a loss on Saturday. “Hopefully, we can get that ironed out. We need to get that taken care of.”Smoak, who entered the game Sunday in the bottom of the ninth as a defensive replacement, has hit home runs in each of the past four games that he has had a plate appearance. Kendrys Morales, who started at first base Sunday, recently cot completed a seven-game home run streak.The Rays made a move before their game Sunday, recalling infielder-outfielder Andrew Velazquez from Triple-A Durham. Right-hander Jose Mujica (undisclosed injury) was recalled from Durham and was moved to the 60-day DL.With regular center fielder Kevin Kiermaier sitting out Sunday after leaving the game Saturday in the seventh inning with back spasms, Velazquez entered the game Sunday in the eighth inning as a defensive replacement in center field.Kiermaier said he was available off the bench Sunday and hopes to return to the lineup on Monday.Rays outfielder Mallex Smith (viral infection) is expected to be activated from the DL when eligible on Monday.Tampa Bay first baseman-outfielder Jake Bauers was 0-for-3 with a walk Sunday and is 4-for-58 since Aug. 10.“This isn’t the worst thing for him,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “He’s 22. He’s going to be fine. I know he’s scuffling. To be able to get to the offseason, we want to see him get there on a high note.“But at the same time, if he’s able to do that http://www.bluejaysfanproshop.com/authentic-curtis-granderson-jersey , he’s going to look back and say, ‘Hey, I had maybe the roughest patch of my career and I was able to kind of weather the storm.’“I think that means something, especially to some young guys. I don’t think it would be smart for us to run from him. He’s part of our future.” ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — With time running short and so much ground to make up, the Tampa Bay Rays will probably miss the postseason. But they certainly look like a playoff team right now.Ji-Man Choi hit a two-run homer off Brad Hand with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, and the Rays beat the Cleveland Indians 6-5 on Monday night to set a team record with their 12th straight victory at home.“That was my first career walk-off homer and that was awesome,” Choi said through a translator.The Rays have won 17 of 20 overall after a rare victory (2-51) when trailing after eight innings.Cleveland ace Corey Kluber was chased in the second, but the Indians rallied before blowing a late lead. Even with the defeat, their magic number dropped to four to clinch their third consecutive AL Central championship when second-place Minnesota lost 7-2 to the New York Yankees.Tommy Pham grounded a single to right field before Choi went deep against Hand (0-1). Choi entered 1 for 21 in his career against left-handers.The Indians have lost six of 10.It appeared Jose Ramirez’s nifty baserunning would help Cleveland overcome a poor start by Kluber.Ramirez was hit by Chaz Roe’s pitch to start the seventh. He stole second and third before scoring to put the Indians ahead 5-4 with a headfirst slide to beat second baseman Brandon Lowe’s throw home on Yonder Alonso’s grounder.Kluber lasted just 1 2/3 innings — matching his career low — and gave up four runs and five hits. The right-hander and Tampa Bay’s Blake Snell are tied for the most wins in the majors with 18.“I just wasn’t able to get that last out,” Kluber said.Jake Bauers homered for the Rays, who moved within 7½ games of Oakland for the second AL wild card with 19 games left.Jamie Schultz (2-0) worked a scoreless ninth to get the win.Cleveland reliever Andrew Miller, reinstated from the 10-day disabled list after being out since Aug. 27 with a left shoulder injury, struck out two during a perfect sixth inning.“Today is a really good start Marcus Stroman Jersey ,” Miller said. “I’m happy with it.”Six Cleveland relievers limited Tampa Bay to one hit entering the ninth. Indians pitchers finished with 16 strikeouts.After striking out two during an 11-pitch first inning, Kluber was pulled after 44 pitches in the second with the Indians trailing 4-0.Willy Adames hit an RBI single, Bauers had a two-run shot and Choi was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.“He’s one of the best in the league,” Bauers said about Kluber. “You’ve got to get simple and try and stick to an approach. We just made the adjustment.”Kluber gave up two hits over seven innings in a 3-0 win against Tampa Bay on Aug. 31.Edwin Encarnacion had an RBI single in the first and Ramirez hit a run-scoring double in the fifth.Cleveland tied it 4-all on pinch-hitter Brandon Guyer’s two-run double in the sixth.Pham singled in the second and has a career-high 14-game hitting streak.The Rays became the 29th team to reach 1 million (1,006,766) in home attendance with an announced crowd of 12,724. Only the Miami Marlins (747,450) have lower attendance at home.SETTLING THE SCORE?Indians manager Terry Francona and Rays skipper Kevin Cash are close friends, which has led to a series of pranks. Cash stole the scooter Francona rides from his downtown apartment to the ballpark earlier this month in Cleveland. In response, Francona talked about messing with Cash’s truck. Cash joked about using Uber and Lyft on Monday. “He told me sincerely not to do anything to his truck,” a smiling Francona said. “He sounded so sad.”NUMBERS GAMEThe Indians are 77-4 when ahead entering the ninth inning. . Bauers’ homer was his 10th but first since Aug. 1. He has just two extra-base hits in his last 95 at-bats.TRAINER’S ROOMIndians: 3B Josh Donaldson (left calf) will return and start Tuesday.Rays: CF Kevin Kiermaier (illness) and 3B Matt Duffy (lower back tightness) didn’t play.UP NEXTIndians RHP Shane Bieber (9-3) and Rays RHP Tyler Glasnow (0-3) are Tuesday night’s starters.
