Rays ride hot pitching into series vs. Blue Jays

Tampa Bay has won five straight series and is now a season-high 12 games over .500

Shane McClanahan will start Tuesday's series opener against Toronto

The Tampa Bay Rays will look to continue their recent hot streak when they open a three-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday night.

The Rays have won five straight series and are now a season-high 12 games over .500. They are also just 2.5 games behind the New York Yankees in the AL East.

The Blue Jays, meanwhile, are coming off a tough weekend series against the Boston Red Sox. They lost two of three games in that series and are now 3.5 games behind the Rays in the AL East.

The pitching matchup for Tuesday's series opener is a good one. The Rays will send Shane McClanahan to the mound, while the Blue Jays will counter with Kevin Gausman.

McClanahan is 10-3 with a 2.11 ERA this season. He has struck out 133 batters in 95.1 innings pitched.

Gausman is 7-7 with a 3.24 ERA this season. He has struck out 131 batters in 97.2 innings pitched.

The Rays are confident that they can continue their hot streak against the Blue Jays. They have a strong pitching staff and a lineup that is starting to click.

The Blue Jays, on the other hand, need to find a way to turn things around. They have lost four of their last five games and are now in danger of falling out of the AL East race.

Tuesday's series opener is a big game for both teams. The Rays can continue their hot streak and move closer to the Yankees in the AL East. The Blue Jays need to find a way to stop their skid and stay in the AL East race.