(My Sportsbook) - Roy Halladay is putting together a Cy Young Award-worthy season, but you wouldn't know it if you only saw him pitch against the Rays. The Toronto Blue Jays ace will try for his first win in four starts against Tampa Bay this year when the two clubs begin a three-game set tonight at Tropicana Field.

The 31-year-old Halladay is 4-2 over his last six outings with a 1.97 earned run average. He defeated the New York Yankees in his most recent start, holding them to three runs on five hits over seven innings with nine strikeouts.

It was Halladay's 15th win of the season and he is third in the American League in ERA (2.68) and strikeouts (168), while his eight complete games are tied with CC Sabathia for the most in the majors.

Yet, the right-hander is 0-3 with a 5.32 ERA in three starts versus the Rays this year. Lifetime against Tampa Bay, Halladay is 9-7 with four complete games and a 3.87 ERA in 26 games, 23 of those starts.

Halladay may have an easier time with Tampa Bay tonight, as the two Rays players who have hurt him the most are currently on the disabled list. Carl Crawford is hitting 5-for-11 (.455) against him this year, but is out after having surgery on his right middle finger, while Evan Longoria, on the DL due to a broken right wrist, has driven in eight runs off Halladay in 2008.

The Rays have been winning without two of their key members, going 11-4 over their last 15 games. Tampa Bay failed to post a three-game sweep of the White Sox over the weekend, losing Sunday's finale, 6-5, in extra-innings.

Rocco Baldelli homered in the 10-inning loss for the Rays, who lead the Red Sox by 4 1/2 games in the AL East. Tampa Bay starts a nine-game homestand with tonight's set and owns the best home mark in the AL at 47-18, having won eight of its last 10 as the host.

Taking the hill for the Rays tonight is James Shields, who is 11-7 with a 3.68 ERA this year. Shields has won his last two decisions, defeating the Angels on Tuesday behind eight innings of two-run ball while fanning seven. He hasn't lost since July 28 at Toronto, where he allowed three runs over 7 1/3 innings.

The 26-year-old righty, who has an 8-1 record and 2.21 ERA in 14 home starts this year, is 4-1 with a 2.63 ERA in six career starts versus the Blue Jays.

The Blue Jays have lost three of their last five and missed a chance to gain ground in the AL wild card race. Toronto lost two of three to Boston, dropping Sunday's rubber match by a 6-5 margin in 11 innings while falling eight games back of Boston.

A.J. Burnett had his six-start winning streak come to an end, as he took a no- decision. Vernon Wells and Lyle Overbay homered for Toronto, which has dropped three of five. Wells homered twice on Saturday as well, giving him three homers, six hits and six RBI in his last two games.

Wells, though, is just 2-for-12 (.167) with a homer and two RBI in his career against Shields.

Tampa Bay has won nine of 12 versus Toronto this year, winning two of three at home in mid-July. The Rays also swept a three-game set in Orlando from April 22-24.