The first of two 2016 NIT Tip-Off games marked the first time

TORONTO -- The Toronto Blue Jays hope a return home will revive their sputtering offense.It might not be easy, however, against the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday.Tampa Bay will send out Jake Odorizzi in the opener of the three-game series at Rogers Centre.The right-hander has matched the club record with three consecutive scoreless starts. He has not allowed a run in 20 2/3 innings, one-third of a frame short of the teams season-best string set by Alex Colome.Its nice to have the results to go with the stuff, Odorizzi said. From a confidence standpoint, when pitchers have good stuff, see good results, the confidence goes through the roof.The Blue Jays are returning from a 4-3 road trip against the Houston Astros and the Kansas City Royals.They returned from a winning trip without much hitting. After the Royals took the rubber match of the three-game series 7-1 on Sunday, the Blue Jays were outscored 19-17 over the seven games and batted .138 with runners in scoring position.They have failed to score more than four runs in a game since July 30 when they plated nine against the Baltimore Orioles, who beat the Chicago White Sox 10-2 Sunday to take a one-game lead over the Blue Jays (63-49) in the American League East.Today was a little bit frustrating, Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said after his team hit just six singles. We really havent been swinging it good since that last homestand. Weve been kind of in a little rut, so were due to explode.There are 162 games, its baseball and its hard to be hot for 162, said Marcus Stroman, who allowed three runs in five innings to take the loss Sunday. Our guys are some of the best hitters in the league, were aware of that, and the drought is not going to last. Its just one of those spurts and Im sure theyll break out soon.The Rays lost 6-3 Sunday to the Minnesota Twins to complete a 6-4 homestand that included a three-game sweep of the New York Yankees.They are 11-11 since the All -Star break but at 45-65 overall are well removed from postseason contention. They have been pitching well, however, and have allowed three runs or fewer in 11 of their past 13 games.The Rays are undergoing a rebuilding process and before the deadline for trades without waivers last Monday, they traded left-hander Matt Moore, outfielder Brandon Guyer and utility player Steve Pearce.Third baseman Evan Longoria, who is accustomed to playing on Tampa Bay team that contended and reached the World Series in 2008, longs to return to a contenders status.Im ready to win, Longoria told the Tampa Times. I hate sitting around watching all my friends go out and do that. I do believe we can be a contender here again. It takes a lot. It takes a lot. And we have to believe that from the top down.... Personally you get spoiled going to the playoffs so often (four times in six years) and just expecting that it is going to happen again. ... I want to go back. And I want us to do everything possible to give ourselves the best chance to do that.Odorizzi (6-5, 3.70 ERA), who will face knuckleballer R.A. Dickey (8-12, 4.49 ERA) on Monday, allowed two hits and two walks over six innings Wednesday in a 12-0 win against Kansas City.He is 3-2 with a 3.33 ERA in nine career starts against the Blue Jays, In three starts against them this season, Odorizzi is 1-0 with a 2.04 ERA. He has made five career starts at Rogers Centre, going 2-2 with a 5.27 ERA.Dickey is 1-1 with a 5.73 ERA two starts against the Rays this season. In his career, he is 8-9 with a 4.33 ERA against Tampa Bay in 24 games, including 20 starts.The Rogers Centre has not been kind to Dickey this season. He is 2-8 with a 5.40 ERA this season and has allowed 15 of his 26 homers there this season.The last time the teams met, the Rays swept a three-game series at Rogers Centre May 16-18 and scored 31 runs, a club record for a three-game series. Mexico Jerseys . -- Catcher Brett Hayes has agreed to a $630,000, one-year contract with the Kansas City Royals, avoiding salary arbitration. Jose de Jesus Corona Jersey ., for the next three years with the signings on Monday of Daryl Townsend and Michael Carter. http://www.soccermexicojerseysteamstore.com/javier-aquino-mexico-jersey/ . Hazard cut in from the left and scored with a swerving right-footed shot for ninth goal of the season, which proved to be enough for the victory despite Chelseas forwards again lacking a cutting edge up front. Hugo Ayala Jersey .J. Ellis hit two-run homers and the NL West champion Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the San Diego Padres 4-0 Saturday night. Custom Mexico Jerseys . Once again Jordan Cieciwa (@FitCityJordan) and I (@LynchOnSports) go head to head in our picks. Last weekend at UFC Fight Night 32 my #TeamLynch got the best of #TeamJC by a score of 9-6. Let us know which side youre on for UFC 167 use the hashtag #TeamLynch or #TeamJC on Twitter. NEW YORK -- Little had gone right for the Temple Owls before they gathered around coach Fran Dunphy during a timeout. It would have been easy for them to lament their woes.Instead, as Shizz Alston Jr. recalled, their message to each other was cloaked in defiance.Were on a big stage, were not going out like this, Alston said, a few minutes after Temple completed its 89-86 win over No. 25 Florida State on Thursday in the first game of the 2016 NIT Season Tip-Off. We want to fight back.Quinton Rose scored a game-high 26 points, including two free throws with 2 seconds left, Alston Jr. added 22 points and Obi Enechionyia finished with 16 points and eight rebounds for the Owls, who improved to 3-2 with their second straight win.The win was also Temples third in four all-time meetings with Florida State.Despite having four players in double-figure scoring, Florida State (4-1) lost for the first time this season.Dwayne Bacon had 22 points for the Seminoles. Jonathan Issac tallied 19 points. Xavier Rathan-Mayes chipped in with 11 while Terance Mann had 10.Theyre so deep, Dunphy said about Florida State. So athletic. They can make shots, too.Trailing by 12 with 9:26 left in the game, Temple went on a 15-2 run to take a 73-72 lead. The stretch began when Shawn Alston made a 3. That was followed by Roses putback, Enechionyias lay-in, two made free throws by Alston, and consecutive 3s from Alston and Damion Moore.The Owls were able to extend their advantage to 85-80 after Enechionyias made 3 with 3:18 left. But Trent Forrests lay-in with 77 seconds cut the deficit to one, 87-86.They spread the floor, Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton said of Temples offensive approach in the second half. They were shooting the 3s and they spread the floor, did a great job of taking us off the dribble when they got to the foul line.Give them credit: They did what they had to do.Florida State had a chance to win, but Isaac air-balled a layup attempt with four seconds left. Roses two free throws sealed the win.We started making every shot we took, Dunphy said.Traditionally one of the nations stingiest teams, Florida State had developed an offeensive potency to augment its taut defense.dddddddddddd Entering the game, the Seminoles led the Athletic Coast Conference with a 96.8 points per game scoring average. Florida State had scored 100 or more points in four of its first six games, including exhibitions.At the half, the Seminoles enjoyed a 41-31 advantage because of their efficient offensive attack. Florida State made 15 of 29 shots from the field in the first half, a 51.7 percent clip. For the game, the Seminoles made 33 of 60 shots from the field.Temple was strong offensively in its own right, as the Owls shot 46.8 percent from the field for the game.I thought their offensive execution was better than our defensive execution, Hamilton said.NOTABLETemple: The 2016 National Invitation Tournament Tip-Off marks the sixth time in program history that the Owls participated in the early season event. Temples six appearances are tied with St. Johns for second most in tournament history; Arizona and Duke have made seven appearances apiece.Florida State: The first of two 2016 NIT Tip-Off games marked the first time since the third round of the 2012 NCAA Tournament that the Seminoles were a nationally ranked team. Following a 62-56 loss to Cincinnati in the third round, the Seminoles finished the season ranked 10th in the nation.QUOTABLEI think you can come up with a philosophical theory if you want to, but they just had a great night. They did a very good job. Im sure theyre hoping they shoot the ball that well for the remainder of the year. Im hoping we dont defend as poorly as we did tonight and I dont think we will, Florida States Leonard Hamilton, in response to a question regarding his concern about the Seminoles defense.UP NEXTTemple: Will meet the winner of the West Virginia/Illinois game in the NIT Championship game Friday.Florida State: Will meet the loser of the West Virginia/Illinois game in the NIT Consolation game Friday.---More AP college basketball at http://collegebasketball.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-Top25 ' ' '