Toronto @ Detroit preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 24, 2010 ) Toronto 3, Detroit 2

Jeremy Bonderman's last three victories have come with the help of some solid run support.

After losing one of his hottest-hitting teammates for up to two months, Bonderman may have to make due with less.

Bonderman and the Detroit Tigers look to bounce back from a rough Saturday night as they entertain the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday afternoon in the first game of a day-night doubleheader. The Tigers won the series opener 5-2 before rain wiped out Friday's game, necessitating Sunday's double bill.

Toronto evened the series and jumped back above the .500 mark with a 3-2 victory Saturday in a game that saw Detroit lose outfielder Magglio Ordonez to a fractured ankle. He suffered the injury in the third inning and was helped off the field.

Ordonez is expected to miss the next 6-to-8 weeks with the injury. He's batting .303 with 12 home runs and 59 RBIs in 84 games this season.

The loss of Ordonez comes at a pivotal time in the schedule for the Tigers, who trail the Chicago White Sox by 2 1/2 games in the tightening American League Central race. Detroit and Chicago both lost Saturday, while the Minnesota Twins won to move within two games of the White Sox for top spot.

Despite being in the hunt for the division crown, things are about to get a lot tougher for the Tigers. They hit the road following Sunday's doubleheader, embarking on a seven-game road trip against the Tampa Bay Rays and the Boston Red Sox, two of the top three teams in the American League.

Bonderman (5-6) gets the call in Sunday's early game. The 28-year-old is 3-2 over his last six starts, with the Tigers averaging 7.7 runs in his three victories and scoring just one run combined in his two defeats.

Bonderman was shaky in his last outing, surrendering five runs on nine hits over 5 1/3 innings against the Texas Rangers. He ended up with a no-decision in a game the Tigers lost 8-6.

The six-foot-two right-hander is 2-2 all-time against Toronto with a 3.00 ERA over 10 appearances (eight starts). His last start against the Blue Jays came Apr. 19, 2008, when he allowed three runs in five innings and issued six walks on the way to a 3-2 defeat.

Toronto counters with second-year hurler Brett Cecil (8-5), who began the season on a tear but has just one victory over his last six outings. The left-hander picked up a no-decision in his last appearance, giving up three runs in 6 1/3 innings of a 5-4 loss to the Kansas City Royals.

Cecil has never faced the Tigers in his career, but his career numbers suggest Comerica Park may not agree with him. The 24-year-old has an unsightly 5.56 ERA in outdoor games all-time, compared to a 2.47 ERA indoors.