(Best E Casino) - The Toronto Blue Jays will try to put the brakes on a seven-game slide and deliver new manager Cito Gaston his first win since returning to the helm, as they conclude a three-game interleague series with the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park.

The Blue Jays fired manager John Gibbons on Friday and brought back Gaston, who managed the Blue Jays from 1989-1997 and led the team to four playoff appearances, including back to back World Series championships in 1992 and 1993.

In his first game back on Friday, Gaston saw his Blue Jays suffer a tough 1-0 loss in 12 innings to Pittsburgh, which then used three two-run homers to take the second game of the weekend series, 6-3, on Saturday.

Jason Bay, Raul Chavez and Jose Bautista combined to hit three home runs in the first four innings, providing the Pirates with all the offense they needed. Bautista added two more hits in the game, finishing the day 3-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored

Paul Maholm (5-5) pitched his second consecutive quality start, going seven strong innings for the win and giving up three runs on seven hits, three walks and a strikeout. The Pirates have won two straight after dropping five of their previous six games.

Matt Capps retired all three batters he faced in the ninth for his 17th save of the season.

Jesse Litsch (7-4) lost his third consecutive decision, giving up six runs in six innings on five hits, a walk and two strikeouts. All six runners to reach base off Litsch ended up scoring on the three home runs he gave up.

Rod Barajas went 2-for-4 with two RBI and Vernon Wells went 2-for-4 with two runs scored in a losing cause for Toronto, which has now lost seven straight.

The Blue Jays will send Dustin McGowan to the mound today in hope he can stop some of the bleeding. The right-hander is 3-1 with a 4.02 ERA over his last five starts, although he is coming off a poor outing. On Tuesday, McGowan was reached for four earned runs and four hits in four innings of a 7-0 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers. He allowed three home runs in the game after surrendering just four homers through his first 14 starts.

McGowan has never faced Pittsburgh and he is 2-3 with a 5.29 ERA in six lifetime interleague starts.

Countering for the Pirates will be Ian Snell, who is 1-5 with a dismal 7.20 ERA over his last six starts. The right-hander is coming off a horrific outing on Tuesday, when he gave up seven earned runs and nine hits in just four innings of a 16-5 loss to the Chicago White Sox. He walked six and failed to strike out a single batter.

Snell is 2-5 with a 5.52 ERA in eight career interleague starts, but has never faced Toronto.

Toronto swept a three-game set from the Pirates the last time these teams met back in 2003.