TORONTO (Interstat) — The Tampa Bay Rays look to build on their season-long dominance over the Toronto Blue Jays when the American League East rivals open a four-game series Monday night at Rogers Centre. First pitch is set for 7:07 p.m. EDT. The Rays (56-42) lead the season series 5-1, having taken four of three games in a May set in Toronto and sweeping a three-game series in St. Petersburg earlier that month. Right-hander Dylan Cease (6-4) will take the mound for Tampa Bay. Cease has been steady in the rotation, though he is coming off a no-decision July 14 against the New York Yankees in which he allowed three runs over six innings. The Blue Jays (46-53) counter with righty Trey Yesavage, who has shown flashes of dominance but also inconsistency. Yesavage lasted six innings in a 3-0 loss to the Chicago White Sox on July 19, allowing three earned runs while striking out nine. He threw 1⅔ innings in a 8-7 loss at San Diego on July 11, surrendering four earned runs. Tampa Bay is coming off a 6-1 loss at Boston on Sunday, its third straight defeat. The Rays have lost four of their last five overall. Reliever Chris Roycroft was a bright spot in the loss, tossing two scoreless innings of one-hit relief. Over his last five appearances, Roycroft has a 2.70 ERA with seven strikeouts in 10 innings. Toronto was shut out 3-0 by the White Sox on Sunday, managing only five hits. Yesavage’s six-inning effort was the lone bright spot for the Blue Jays, who have lost two of three and five of their last seven. Interstat’s game simulator projects a 4-3 Rays victory. Toronto opened as a -1.5 favorite on the run line, with the over/under set at 7½ runs. Players to watch: For Tampa Bay, Roycroft has been effective out of the bullpen, posting a 3.12 ERA in July while holding opponents to a .200 batting average. For Toronto, Yesavage has a 4.20 ERA in his last four starts but has shown the ability to rack up strikeouts, with 28 in 23⅓ innings over that span. The Rays are 24-21 on the road this season, while the Blue Jays are 24-25 at home. Following Monday’s opener, the teams continue the series Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Tampa Bay then returns home for a six-game homestand against Cleveland and Texas. Toronto heads to Boston for a three-game weekend series before visiting Washington. —