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Toronto Blue Jays shoot for their third straight win this evening, when they continue their nine-game road trip with a three-game set against the
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
The Blue Jays started this trek by winning the final two contests of their three-game affair with the Oakland Athletics. Toronto won Thursday's rubber match of the series, as Jesse Litsch tossed seven scoreless innings and the Jays registered 17 hits in a 12-0 drubbing.
Litsch (7-1) hurled the first shutout of his career in his previous start and didn't disappoint in his follow-up performance, scattering seven hits with a walk and three strikeouts.
Rod Barajas brought in three runs thanks to three doubles, while Aaron Hill and Brad Wilkerson each knocked in a pair of runs for the Jays, who have won seven of their last eight. Kevin Mench and Shannon Stewart both recorded three hits in the victory, with Stewart adding a home run.
Hoping to keep the Jays in the win column tonight will be right-hander Dustin McGowan, who is 3-4 with a 3.90 ERA this season. McGowan is coming off a terrific outing against the Kansas City Royals in his last trip to the hill, as he surrendered just a run and nine hits in seven innings on Sunday. He also struck out seven without walking a batter in Toronto's 3-1 win.
McGowan lost to the Halos two starts ago and is 0-3 in his young career against them with a 3.27 ERA in five games (three starts).
Los Angeles, meanwhile, just won two of three from the Detroit Tigers but was denied a series sweep after dropping a 6-2 decision on Wednesday. Joe Saunders (8-2) was saddled with the loss after yielding seven hits and a season-high five runs over five innings.
The Angels managed just four hits in the loss and fell for only the third time in their last 10 games.
Jered Weaver will try and get the Angels back on track tonight as he tries to win his third straight start. Weaver defeated the Chicago White Sox on Saturday, when he scattered three hits over eight scoreless innings to run his record to 4-5 on the season and lower his ERA to 4.16.
Weaver has beaten the Jays both times he has faced them, giving up just three runs in 11 2/3 innings in those games.
The Angels took two of three from the Jays at the Rogers Centre from May 20-22. Toronto, though, holds a slight 7-6 edge in its last 13 visits to Anaheim.
