Blue Jays open second half against division rival Rays

Jul 3, 2015; Bronx, NY, USA; Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Chris Archer (22) pitches against the New York Yankees during the third inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports

Game 3: Sunday, July 19th  –  1:07 ET

Marco Estrada vs. Chris Archer

Let’s be blunt, the Blue Jays are wildly overmatched here in the pitching department. The heightened importance of games one and two is linked to this meeting with Archer, who is one of the league’s toughest wins.

Marco Estrada has stepped back since his near-no-hitter just four starts ago, but the damage has remained relatively minimal in the runs department. He did allow nine hits over 6.2 innings in his last start, however, and has struggled to create outs. Over his last three starts, Estrada has six walks and six strikeouts. A rest could do him some good.

The 9-6 Archer is one of the game’s best, but allowed a staggering nine earned runs on twelve hits in his last outing before the break. Let’s call that one an outlier. The right-hander boasts a 2.74 ERA and 1.02 WHIP. In his last outing against the Blue Jays on June 23rd, Archer allowed just one run on three hits over 8.0 innings.

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