Game Notes: Erasmo and Teaford look to lasso Jays

A win tonight will clinch a second consecutive series victory and extend the Rays winning streak to four games.

Here's what the Rays lineup will look like in tonight's game:

#Rays lineup: Guyer lf, Souza rf, Cabrera ss, Longoria 3b, Jennings cf, Forsythe 1b, Beckham DH, Elmore 2b, Wilson c, Erasmo p

— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) April 25, 2015

- James Loney will not be in tonight's lineup, although going 2-5 with a home run in his return last night. This is a planned absence as the team is looking to ease him back into regular activity after the oblique injury.

- Left-handed reliever Everett Teaford was picked up from Durham earlier today. With Erasmo on the bump, the Rays might need a stretched out arm in the bullpen if things go south. Which they did in all of Erasmo's regular season starts thus far.

Here's our intro to Teaford from earlier today. He will be wearing No. 59.

- Michael Saunders has been activated from the disabled after a successful recovery from offseason surgery. Saunders signed a one-year contract with the Blue Jays in the offseason before tearing a meniscus in his left knee in February. He hit .273/.341/.450 with eight home runs in 78 games with the Mariners last season and will get the start in right field.

- Jose Bautista will miss his fourth straight game due to right shoulder soreness. Blue Jays Manager John Gibbons said on Friday that Bautista will not need to be put on the disabled list.

The Starting Pitchers

Erasmo Ramirez (0-1, 21.32 ERA, 6.52 FIP, 3.316 WHIP)

Although he has pitched in three games this season, Ramirez will be given the start for only the second time. The team hopes Ramirez will be able to eat some innings with minimal damage, but if his last three appearances are any indication they might not be so lucky.  In 6.1 innings, Ramirez has allowed 15 earned runs on 15 hits and six walks. Look for an active bullpen tonight.

Daniel Norris (1-1, 6.08 ERA, 6.49 FIP, 1.575 WHIP)

Rookie left-handed pitcher Daniel Norris, also known as the man in the van, will celebrate his 22nd birthday on Saturday as the starting pitcher for the Blue Jays. This will be the second time Norris has faced the Rays this season. On April 14th in Toronto, Norris pitched five innings, allowing two earned runs on two hits and three walks.

In three starts this season, Norris has shown an inability to buck the trend that plagued him throughout his minor league career. Although he has allowed only seven walks in 13 innings, 43% of his pitches have landed outside of the strike zone.

Kishi’s Crystal Ball: Longoria will hit his first home run since Opening Day.

Kishi’s Key to Victory: Patience is a virtue. With the erratic control of Daniel Norris, the Rays should have a lot of base runners if they don't chase pitches out of the zone.

Other Rays Notes:

Hearing #Rays Colome likely to make one more rehab start then could rejoin rotation

— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) April 25, 2015

Beliveau is here in clubhouse, said shoulder surgery went well, looking at 10-12 months to be 100 percent and back with #Rays

— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) April 25, 2015