(Best E Casino) - With their longest losing streak of the season now behind them, the Tampa Bay Rays will now try to maintain their narrow lead in the AL East, as they play the second of three consecutive meetings against the Toronto Blue Jays at Tropicana Field.

On Friday, Ben Zobrist clubbed the go-ahead two-run homer in the seventh inning, and Tampa Bay snapped a season-long seven-game skid with a 2-1 victory.

The Rays (56-39), who have been a huge surprise this season, moved back into first place in the AL East, a half-game ahead of Boston, which lost to the LA Angels of Anaheim.

Tampa also improved to a stellar 37-14 as the hosts and have won 16 of its last 20 at Tropicana Field.

James Shields (8-6) allowed four hits over seven innings to win for the fourth time in five starts. J.P. Howell threw two-thirds of an inning before Grant Balfour escaped a jam in the eighth and struck out three batters, nailing down his fourth save of the year.

Shields is 6-1 at home this year and 4-0 lifetime against the Blue Jays..

A.J. Burnett (10-9) pitched well in defeat, giving up five hits, to go with three walks and six strikeouts in seven innings.

Adam Lind homered for Toronto, which has dropped five of its last six outings on the road.

The Blue Jays will try to reverse their fortunes this evening, as they send ace Roy Halladay to the hill. The former Cy Young Award winner has won three consecutive starts, posting a 0.72 ERA over that stretch. He is 7-1 with a 2.06 ERA over his last 10 starts and that includes three complete games.

In his last start on July 11th, Halladay tossed a two-hit shutout against the New York Yankees, as he fanned eight and walked just one in picking up his major league-leading seventh complete game of the year.

The right-hander has made 24 career appearances, 21 starts, against the Rays, recording a 9-5 mark with four complete games and a 3.76 ERA. Earlier this season, Halladay allowed five earned runs in eight innings of a 5-3 setback to the Rays on April 23rd.

Getting the call for Tampa Bay will Matt Garza, who is coming off a dismal outing against the Cleveland Indians on July 12th. In that game, the right- hander was tagged for seven earned runs and 11 hits over five innings of an 8-4 loss. He had been 3-1 with a 2.02 ERA in five prior starts.

Garza has been especially tough at home this season, notching a 5-1 record with a sparkling 2.38 ERA in nine starts at Tropicana Field. He is 0-2 with a 7.71 ERA in two career starts against Toronto, but he did fare well in his only appearance against them this season. On May 7th, Garza allowed just one earned run over 6 2/3 innings of work, but suffered the defeat in a 6-2 setback at Toronto.

This series is the Blue Jays' first visit to Tropicana Field this season. The AL East foes did play a three-game series in Orlando back in April, with the Rays sweeping the set. Tampa Bay also took two of three tests from the Jays in Toronto from May 6-8.