Toronto @ Colorado preview
Coors Field
Last Meeting ( Jun 12, 2010 ) Toronto 0, Colorado 1
Jeff Francis knows what Jesse Litsch has gone through.
Sunday, he'd like nothing more than to beat him.
Litsch makes his first start in over a year Sunday as the Toronto Blue Jays look to avoid a road sweep at the hands of the Colorado Rockies. The Jays managed just three runs over the first two games of the series, and were meekly dispatched 1-0 Saturday night.
The 25-year-old right-hander made just two starts last season before undergoing ligament replacement surgery in June. He was activated from the 60-day disabled list earlier this week, and today marks his first major league appearance since April 13, 2009.
A 13-game winner in 2008, Litsch hopes to make a seamless transition back into the starting rotation. He takes over for Brian Tallet, who will return to full-time bullpen duty after Rommie Lewis was returned to Triple-A Las Vegas.
Litsch's first opponent of the season is no stranger to a major injury. Francis (1-2) will make his sixth start of the campaign after missing all of 2009 with a shoulder ailment. The 29-year-old, who won 17 games in 2007, has a respectable 3.45 ERA so far this season.
Francis was solid in his last outing, surrendering two runs on seven hits in seven innings against Houston. He settled for a no-decision in the 4-3 loss to the Astros and is 0-2 over his previous three starts.
A native of North Delta, British Columbia, Francis has made just one career start against the Blue Jays, owning a 1-0 record with a 1.50 ERA.
The Rockies hope Francis can continue the trend of solid starting pitching that earned Colorado victories in the first two games of the series. Ubaldo Jimenez earned his major league-leading 12th victory in Friday's rain-shortened six-inning win, while Jason Hammel's eight shutout innings were the difference in a 1-0 triumph Saturday.
Francis might not have much to worry about in today's series finale if recent trends continue.
After pounding major league pitching over the first two months of the season, the Jays' offense has stalled mightily. Despite leading the majors with 99 home runs, Toronto has scored just 10 runs over its past six games, losing five of them.
Several Jays hitters are struggling, but none more than outfielder Adam Lind. He's mired in a 7-for-57 slump and hasn't enjoyed a multi-hit game since May 24. The cold stretch has dropped his average to a woeful .209.
Head-to-head history favors the Rockies as well. In 11 all-time games between the teams, the home side has won every time.