(Sports Network) - With their lead atop the American League's East Division not as comfortable as it once was, the Tampa Bay Rays begin an important nine- game road trip tonight with the first of three consecutive meetings with a surging Toronto Blue Jays club.

Tampa Bay brings a 3 1/2-game advantage over second-place Boston into its three-city trek that will see the young team face a trio of divisional foes. After taking on the Blue Jays, the Rays will head to Fenway Park for a key three-game series with the Red Sox before wrapping up the swing against the New York Yankees.

The Rays' first-place margin was reduced after they dropped two of three games at home to the Yankees heading into this set, although Tampa avoided the sweep with Thursday's 7-5 victory. Tampa Bay scored five early runs to provide plenty of support for starting pitcher Scott Kazmir, who threw six shutout innings to earn his 11th win of the season.

Kazmir (11-6) gave up just one hit and struck out seven while issuing five walks before exiting with a 5-0 lead. After New York erupted for five ninth- inning runs against the Rays' bullpen, Dan Wheeler was called upon to get the final out and recorded his 11th save.

Willy Aybar went 2-for-4 with a homer and three RBI to help Tampa Bay wrap up a nine-game homestand with a 6-3 record.

At nine games out in the AL wild-card race, Toronto remains a longshot for a postseason bid. The Blue Jays have been playing like a playoff-worthy team lately, however, and registered their fifth straight win with Thursday's 9-0 rout of Minnesota at the Rogers Centre.

Jesse Litsch (10-8) tossed his second career shutout after yielding just four hits and a pair of walks in an outstanding 115-pitch effort. Rookie Travis Snider went 3-for-3 with two RBI on the evening and belted his first major league home run.

Vernon Wells also homered and knocked in a pair of runs to help Toronto complete a three-game sweep of the Twins. Joe Inglett and Alex Rios also ended with two RBI, while Adam Lind collected three hits and drove in one baserunner.

The Blue Jays will attempt to keep their hot streak going tonight behind ace Roy Halladay, who aims for his fifth straight winning start and 18th victory of 2008.

The All-Star hurler is coming off Sunday's sharp performance in Yankee Stadium in which he allowed just two runs over seven innings in Toronto's 6-2 decision over New York. During the course of his unbeaten stretch, Halladay has allowed just eight runs through 29 innings of work.

Halladay also owns a recent win over the Rays, which took place August 26 in St. Petersburg. The standout righty held Tampa Bay to two runs and fanned seven over six frames in that outing. That improved Halladay to 10-7 with a 3.84 earned run average in 27 lifetime appearances (24 starts) against the Rays.

Thirteen-game winner Andy Sonnanstine will take the mound for the Rays in tonight's opener. The second-year major leaguer has won his last three decisions, although he hasn't pitched particularly well as of late.

In his most recent mound trip, Sonnanstine lasted just 3 1/3 innings against Baltimore on Saturday and was reached for six runs (5 earned) on seven hits. He wound up with a no-decision, however, in an eventual 10-9 Tampa victory.

Prior to that start, Sonnanstine gave up four runs and nine hits -- including a pair of homers -- in a 6 1/3-inning no-decision at Chicago on August 24.

The 25-year-old is 2-1 in five career starts against Toronto, but has recorded a 6.10 ERA over the course of those matchups.

Tampa Bay has dominated this year's season series with the Blue Jays, winning 11 of the 15 encounters between the division members. The Rays have recorded a 4-2 mark at the Rogers Centre as well in 2008.