TORONTO (Interstat) — The Tampa Bay Rays, winners of 26 of their first 39 games, open a three-game series against the reeling Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday, May 12, at Rogers Centre. Left-hander Shane McClanahan (4-2) is scheduled to start for the Rays, while Toronto counters with lefty Patrick Corbin (1-1). Tampa Bay enters as a -1.5 favorite, with the over/under set at 8.

The Rays (26-13) have dominated the season series, winning all four meetings — including Monday’s 7-3 victory in the series opener. Tampa Bay took three straight at home from May 4-6, outscoring Toronto 12-4. The Blue Jays (18-22) have dropped seven of their last 10 overall, including Sunday’s 6-1 loss to the Los Angeles Angels.

McClanahan has been sharp recently, allowing one earned run or fewer in three of his last four starts. He struck out four in five innings against Toronto on May 4, a 5-1 win. Corbin makes his fifth start of the season; he lasted 1 1/3 innings in his only previous appearance against the Rays this year, giving up two earned runs.

Players to watch

Rays right-hander Nick Martinez has been a consistent force out of the bullpen, posting three wins and a 0.55 ERA over his last four outings, spanning 25 2/3 innings. He threw 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball Sunday in a 4-1 win at Boston, following a five-inning, one-run effort against Toronto on May 4.

Toronto reliever Spencer Miles has been effective in limited work, allowing no earned runs in five of his last six appearances. He tossed three shutout innings Sunday against the Angels, striking out two.

Recent results

Tampa Bay enters having won three of its last four, including a 4-1 victory at Boston on Sunday. The Rays also took two of three from the Red Sox in that series. Toronto has lost six of its last eight, with its only wins coming in a 14-1 blowout of the Angels on May 9 and a 2-0 shutout on May 8.

Looking ahead

The Rays continue their road trip Wednesday before returning home for a three-game set against Miami beginning Friday. The Blue Jays host Tampa Bay on Wednesday before traveling to Detroit for a weekend series starting Friday.