Minnesota @ Toronto preview
Rogers Centre
Last Meeting ( Sep 10, 2009 ) Minnesota 2, Toronto 3
To the Toronto Blue Jays, singles are for suckers – and that philosophy has made them one of the hottest teams in the American League.
The Blue Jays bring a four-game winning streak into Monday's opener of a two-game mini-series against the visiting Minnesota Twins. Toronto has posted a 13-4 mark since being swept out of Fenway Park in a late-April visit against the Boston Red Sox.
The secret to the Jays’ success in the month of May has been plenty of homers and doubles. Toronto leads the league in both categories by a wide margin, despite boasting a team batting average below .240.
The Blue Jays had their booming bats on display over the weekend, earning a decisive sweep of the Texas Rangers. Toronto outscored the Rangers, 27-12, in the series, and belted eight home runs – the last three coming from Jose Bautista, who has 10 on the season.
Even more encouraging for Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston has been the performances of Ricky Romero and Brandon Morrow, who combined to limit the Rangers to just two runs over the final two games of the series. The potent duo combined for 20 strikeouts and just two walks.
The Blue Jays may lead the league in homers, but they likely haven’t had one bigger than the one Jason Kubel belted for the Twins on Sunday. His grand slam off future Hall of Fame closer Mariano Rivera in the eighth inning allowed Minnesota to escape with a 6-3 win over the New York Yankees, avoiding a three-game sweep in the process.
The Twins have cooled off somewhat after a hot start, having lost five of their last eight games. But they still hold a 1 1/2 game lead over the Detroit Tigers in the AL Central on the strength of a 15-8 record against divisional opponents.
Kevin Slowey (4-3) gets the start for the Twins in the opener. The 26-year-old right-hander was rocked for five runs and eight hits in just 4 2/3 innings in his previous start, a 5-2 loss to the Chicago White Sox.
The Blue Jays counter with veteran left-hander Dana Eveland (3-2). He also fared poorly in his last outing, surrendering six runs in four innings of a 6-1 loss to Boston. The 26-year-old has just one win in his last five starts, after opening the season with back-to-back victories.
Minnesota’s visit is a short one, as the teams wrap up the two-game set Tuesday afternoon. The Twins then head off to Boston for two games, while the Jays hit the road to face the Seattle Mariners, Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.