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The red-hot Tampa Bay Rays are the next obstacle between the surprising Atlanta Braves and their pursuit of the National League East pennant.Tampa Bay (70-61) is nine games out of the final wild-card spot in the American League but has won eight straight games and just completed a three-game sweep of the Boston Red Sox http://www.nationalsfanproshop.com/authentic-matt-wieters-jersey , the team with the best record in baseball.Atlanta (73-57) has a three-game lead over Philadelphia in the NL East but only managed a split of a four-game weekend series against last-place Miami. The Braves are 5-5 in their last 10 games.Article continues below ...The two teams open a quick two-game series on Tuesday at SunTrust Park. Atlanta’s Julio Teheran (9-7, 4.09) will start the opener against Tampa Bay’s Ryne Stanek (2-3, 2.53).Teheran, a seven-year veteran on the Atlanta staff, has been good in August. In his last four starts, the right-hander has allowed seven runs in 25 2/3 innings for a 2.45 ERA. He has not allowed more than three runs in any start and has limited the opposition to one run in two games.Teheran’s control has been better (24 strikeouts, nine walks) and he has allowed only two home runs during the month. Gopher balls have plagued him this season; he has allowed 23 in 140 2/3 innings.Teheran threw seven strong innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates in his last start and allowed only one run despite an average fastball velocity of 88 mph. He was able to locate his pitches and baffled the Pirates.“We were talking about it during the game,” Atlanta catcher Tyler Flowers said. “He said, ‘I feel great. I’m just trying to locate it and not trying to overthrow it or anything.’ That’s what he ended up doing. I think that was one of his better command days with the full arsenal.”Stanek has been a workhorse for the Rays. He has appeared in 44 games and made 21 starts. He has not thrown more than two innings in any of his starts. In his 21 starts, Stanek is 0-2 with a 2.84 ERA, with opponents hitting .168 against him.He is the first pitcher to have 20 starts and 20 relief appearances since Toronto’s Esmil Rogers in 2013 and the first rookie to do it since Minnesota’s Joe Mays in 1999.Stanek pitched against Boston on Saturday and picked up his second career win. He came into the game and got a flyout on a 3-0 count, picked off an inherited runner and struck out a batter.Boston manager Alex Cora was impressed by the way Tampa Bay is playing.“They’ve been playing great,” Cora said. “They’ve been pitching. … It’s a different ballclub compared to early in the season. … It’s a different type of team. More athletes Joe Blanton Jersey , fast guys. They put the ball in play. They’re very uncomfortable (to play) right now.”The Braves won the first two games against the Rays in early April, with Sean Newcomb and Teheran each picking up victories.Atlanta made a roster move on Sunday, recalling third baseman Rio Ruiz from Triple-A Gwinnett. Ruiz drew a walk as a pinch-hitter against the Marlins. He is batting .269 with nine homers and 72 RBIs for Gwinnett this season.Atlanta designated catcher Chris Stewart for assignment. The veteran spent most of the season in Gwinnett. TORONTO — The Houston Astros are close, but will still be trying to clinch the American League West when they visit the Toronto Blue Jays for a three-game series starting Monday night.The Astros entered Sunday with a 3 1/2-game lead over the Oakland Athletics in the division.That will not be the only angle, however, in the series at the Rogers Centre.Article continues below ...There will be the return of former Blue Jays closer Roberto Osuna, who was traded to the Astros July 30 near the end of a 75-day suspension imposed by Major League Baseball after he was charged with assault in May. The case has yet to be heard in court.The Blue Jays obtained right-handed pitchers Ken Giles, David Paulino and Hector Perez. Giles, who fell out of favor in Houston and was demoted to the minors, has been a perfect 12-for-12 in save situations as Blue Jays’ closer after going 12-for-12 for the Astros.So, there are two closers going against their former teams.Then, there is the brother angle.Toronto’s Lourdes Gurriel Jr. playing against his older brother Yuli Gurriel of the Astros. Each hit two home runs Friday night, the first time in major-league baseball that brothers both have had multi-homer games on the same day.The Astros (98-57) will start left-hander Dallas Keuchel (11-11) in the opener at the Rogers Centre after defeating the Los Angeles Angels 6-2 on Sunday. The Blue Jays (71-85) will start right-hander Marco Estrada (7-13 Howie Kendrick Jersey , 5.57) after losing 5-2 to the Tampa Bay Rays Sunday.Keuchel and Estrada opposed each other June 27. Neither factored in the decision, a 7-6 Astros win. Keuchel allowed six runs and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings and is 3-0 with a 4.68 ERA in five career starts against Toronto.Estrada gave up four runs (three earned) in five innings on June 27 and in 13 career games (seven starts) against the Astros is 2-0 with a 3.20 ERA.The exchange of closers has worked out well for each team. While Giles has been perfect all season in save opportunities — and not so good in non-save situations — Osuna has been nine-for-nine in save opportunities for Houston.Giles said he is enjoying himself more in Toronto. “I’m actually enjoying the game more than I did for my entire tenure in Houston,” he told the Toronto Star. “It’s kind of weird to say that because I won a World Series with that team. But it’s like, I just felt trapped there. I didn’t feel like myself there. Overall, I felt out of place.”“He has been perfect since he got here, and he has saved a lot of games in baseball,” Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. “I think it’s a new look for him. A new team to be with. (Houston) is in the past and he is thriving.”Yuli Gurriel, who had seven RBIs and two homers Friday against the Angels, hit a two-run homer in the first inning Sunday and was 2-for-5. He is on a nine-game hitting streak, going 16-for-37 (.432).Lourdes Gurriel Jr. was 0-for-4 with one RBI Sunday. His two home runs Friday followed a ninth-inning homer on Thursday. He became the 14th Blue Jay, and first rookie, to homer in three consecutive plate appearances.The Astros will be trying to get right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. into a game Monday or Tuesday after his return from a right forearm strain.“I wish we’d already clinched and had it perfectly scripted out,” Astros manager A.J. Hinch said Sunday. “We have to try to win the games. If I can get him in Sean Doolittle Jersey , I’m going to try to get him in Monday or Tuesday.”McCullers worked in simulated games in Florida. “I felt good,” he said. “I felt good. Over the three times I went out there, there were obviously some ups and downs, but that’s just part of trying to get back into pitching shape. I was really happy with the way my body responded each time and I was extremely happy with the way I looked and felt the last time. My last outing was good, I was landing it in the zone to righties and lefties, was able to go in the zone and back foot when I wanted to.”The starter will be pitching out of the bullpen. “I’ve done it before so there’s no reason why I can’t do it again,” he said. “It doesn’t always work that way. There are a lot of starters you see try to make a transition to the bullpen for a limited role for the playoffs and it doesn’t work out so well. I think last year because I had some success doing it, I feel confident doing it again.”Astros center fielder George Springer was given the day off Sunday because of leg and thumb injuries, but he could return to the lineup Monday.