Rios rallies Blue Jays over Yankees 6-5

Eight days into his career as a major league first baseman, Gary Sheffield earned the job for the New York Yankees in the playoffs. Then he homered for the second straight day.

Alex Rodriguez and Sheffield hit consecutive home runs in the fourth inning of Saturday's 6-5 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays.

Alex Rios hit a go-ahead, two-run triple against T.J. Beam as Toronto rallied from a 4-1 deficit in a four-run seventh inning, getting three unearned runs after an error by backup first baseman Andy Phillips.

Preparing for Tuesday's playoffs opener against Minnesota or Detroit and assured of homefield advantage throughout the postseason, the Yankees treated it as a spring training game, resting some regulars and taking out others in the middle innings. The game meant little except for the two players with a chance to win the AL batting title.

Derek Jeter went 3-for-3 with a walk, raising his average to .345, and Robinson Cano was 1-for-4, lowering his to .341. Minnesota's Joe Mauer, who leads the AL at .346, didn't play Saturday.

With 2,148 hits, Jeter moved past Yogi Berra into seventh on the Yankees career list.

Rodriguez hit his 35th homer, a two-run drive into the center-field bleachers, and Sheffield followed with his sixth for a 3-0 lead in the fourth against Shaun Marcum. Miguel Cairo had an RBI double in the fifth that made it 4-1.

Before the game, Yankees manager Joe Torre said Sheffield will start at first in the postseason, leaving Jason Giambi at designated hitter.

Jeff Karstens retired his first 12 batters before Lyle Overbay homered leading off the fifth, then allowed Aaron Hill's sacrifice fly in the seventh. After Phillips failed to touch the first-base bag on Gregg Zaun's two-out grounder, pinch-hitter John McDonald had an RBI single off Mike Myers (1-2) and Hill tripled into the right-field corner.

Overbay added an RBI groundout against Jose Veras in the eighth, and Bobby Abreu hit a run-scoring single off Justin Speier in the bottom half.

Jason Frasor (3-2) got three outs for the win, and B.J. Ryan pitched the ninth for his 38th save in 42 chances. Toronto began the day tied for second with Boston in the AL East.

Karstens gave up four runs - two earned - and five hits in 6 2-3 innings.

Notes: Jeter has a career-high 33 steals this year and 248 in his career, tying Hal Chase for third on the Yankees' career list. ... Mariano Rivera pitched a one-hit ninth in his final postseason tuneup.

Blue Jays bullpen could use relief

A group of seven men dressed in Blue Jays uniforms will be sitting near the left-centre-field fence at Rogers Centre on Tuesday night hoping Roy Halladay can deliver another complete game.

Blue Jays reliever Scott Schoeneweis looks on Monday night as Baltimore's Ramon Hernandez rounds the bases after hitting a home run. (Nathan Denette/Canadian Press)
Vinnie Chulk, Jason Frasor, Francisco Rosario, B.J. Ryan, Scott Schoeneweis, Justin Speier and Brian Tallet are members of a tired Toronto bullpen.
They entered Monday's action with 194 appearances this season — tops in the American League —and were called upon again for 5 2/3 innings of work in a 6-4 setback to the visiting Baltimore Orioles.
Jays rookie starter Casey Janssen was chased in the fourth inning after yielding five runs (all earned) on eight hits en route to his third loss in four starts against the Orioles this year.
Tallet, Schoeneweis and Speier followed and shut down Baltimore the rest of the way, permitting a single run and striking out five.
Halladay has the only two complete games thrown by Toronto hurlers this season, and will be asked to eat more innings as his team attempts to halt a three-game losing streak.
"If he pitches his usual game, we'll have the lead late," Gibbons told mlb.com. "There's no pressure for [Halladay]. He approaches every game the same way."
Halladay holds the fort
In his lone start versus Baltimore this season, the Blue Jays ace allowed three runs in six innings to earn a no-decision in a 7-5 defeat on June 8.
Toronto, third in the AL East division with a record of 34-29, has won 10 of 12 games when Halladay has started this year.
The right-hander, who is 11-4 with a 3.06 earned-run average in 20 career appearances against the Orioles, will be looking for his eighth win of 2006 against one loss.
Halladay will also be looking for better results from the Jays' offence. The third to sixth hitters — Vernon Wells, Troy Glaus, Lyle Overbay and Shea Hillenbrand — went a combined 1-for-15 against Orioles starter Kris Benson and three relievers on Monday.
"It comes down to all 25 guys," Wells told reporters. "If we're not hitting, the pitchers need to pick us up.
"If they're not pitching, we need to hit more.
"That's the bottom line and we've got to do what it takes to win games."
Jays face Canadian
For the second time in a week, Toronto will face Baltimore left-hander Adam Loewen, a 22-year-old native of Surrey, B.C.
The six-foot-five, 235-pounder has made two starts since replacing Bruce Chen in the rotation and is still searching for his first big-league victory.
Loewen's ERA rose to 7.80 after he gave up five runs on 11 hits in 5 1/3 innings against Toronto on June 8.
But Loewen hasn't been hit hard, with 18 of the 22 hits he has allowed in his four major-league starts going for singles.
Blue Jays infielder Russ Adams will go head to head with Loewen for the first time in his career. The shortstop-turned-second baseman went 0-for-4 on Monday in his first game for Toronto since being demoted to triple-A on May 25.
Orioles outfielder Jay Gibbons also returned to the lineup after sitting two weeks with a sprained ligament in his right knee.
He'll face Toronto spot starter Scott Downs (1-0) on Wednesday at 7:07 p.m. EDT. Righty Rodrigo Lopez (4-7) gets the call for Baltimore.

Orioles salvage series split with Jays

BALTIMORE -- It's tempting to say Adam Loewen got off light Thursday night, even if he stuck with another one of the American League's heavyweights. Loewen made his second straight start against a former Cy Young Award winner and got his second straight no-decision, but the Orioles rallied late in a 7-5 win over the Blue Jays.
The win allowed Baltimore to salvage a series split with Toronto (33-26) and finish with a 5-5 record on its homestand, which included visits by Tampa Bay and New York. Loewen's only prior start came against five-time Cy Young Award winner Randy Johnson, and his second one came against Toronto's Roy Halladay, the league's best pitcher in 2003.
"I know that a lot of people thought it wasn't a great matchup, but I thought Adam rose to the occasion and pitched pretty well against a powerful right-handed offense," said Baltimore manager Sam Perlozzo. "That's kind of what we want all our starters to do. The youngster looks like he's getting a little better each time. You've got to give him credit.
"He's in there fighting and concentrating. ... Hopefully, we've got something."
He may be fighting and concentrating, but he was also scuffling. Loewen gave up 11 hits -- none for extra bases -- and allowed at least two baserunners in four of his five complete innings. Still, he carried a 3-2 lead into the sixth inning, an advantage that quickly evaporated. Loewen lasted four batters, getting one out and giving up three straight singles.
Baltimore (28-33) went to Todd Williams, who gave up run-scoring hits to pinch-hitter Frank Catalanotto and leadoff man Reed Johnson. Loewen's stat line absorbed all those runs, and Williams went on to walk Vernon Wells to force in one more. That gave the Jays a two-run lead and briefly made Loewen the pitcher of record -- on the wrong side of the ledger.
"That team finds holes, and that's why they're one of the best hitting teams in the league," he said. "I'm happy. I'm pleased with how I pitched. I gave us a chance to win and we pulled it out in the end, which was awesome."
"He pitched well. He got out of some jams," said Toronto manager John Gibbons. "We had some guys on base and he made some pitches to get out of some jams. Once he gets his command, he'll be awful tough."
Perlozzo was asked if Loewen would start again, and didn't hesitate in his response.
"I don't see how you can say, 'No,'" he said. "A ballclub like that and he pitched that well. I thought that was pretty good."
Perhaps the win had something to do with that, but Perlozzo had the right to look at the bright side. Loewen's ERA (7.80) says something entirely different, but a lot of that damage came in two relief appearances. The southpaw has a 6.97 mark as a starter and a 9.64 mark as a reliever, but Perlozzo said he has pitched better than his numbers.
Loewen, in his postgame comments, gave reason to believe he may be even better in the near future.
"I feel more comfortable out there. I feel like I can pitch the way I'm capable of," said the former first-round pick. "I had some ups-and-downs and my curveball was off tonight. I thought I did well without it. We came away with the win, which was the most important thing."
Halladay worked six innings and left with eight hits and four runs on his resume, handing the rest of the game over to his relief staff. Toronto handled things until the eighth, when Baltimore put together an odd game-changing rally. Justin Speier came in with one out and two men on in that inning, and he gave up a single to load the bases.
That's where the game got surreal. The Orioles forced in three runs without the benefit of another hit. Brandon Fahey got hit by a pitch to bring in the game-tying run, and one out later, leadoff hitter Brian Roberts had an eight-pitch at-bat. Roberts wound up walking to force in the go-ahead run, and Fahey scored on a wild pitch to provide the final margin.
"Any time you've got the bases loaded, certainly, the pressure's on the other guy," Roberts said. "You've got to try to make them throw strikes, and we did a pretty good job of that."
Baltimore reliever Kurt Birkins, who pitched a scoreless inning to lower his ERA to 0.51, earned his second big-league win. Closer Chris Ray worked the ninth inning and stayed perfect, converting his 15th save in 15 opportunities. The Orioles head on the road for an 11-day road trip, an excursion that will take them to Minnesota, Toronto and New York's Shea Stadium.
"Give these guys credit. They played their hearts out -- actually, the whole homestand," Perlozzo said. "I don't think the record shows the fight we've had this homestand. We shore up a couple areas, [and] it's kind of what we've been talking about -- this team can put something together."

Toronto Blue Jays (31-23) At Tampa Bay Devil Rays (22-34)

In an effort to make sure the rest of the American League East does not overlook the league's lone Canadian representative, the Toronto Blue Jays shoot for their fifth win in the last six outings this afternoon as they close out a three-game set with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays at Tropicana Field.
Toronto has been one of the hottest teams in the division over the last couple of weeks, posting a record of 8-3 since May 22 and is now just two games out of first in the AL East as a result.
On Saturday former Cy Young award winner Roy Halladay threw eight strong innings in picking up his sixth straight decision in a 6-2 triumph on the road.
Halladay surrendered five hits and two runs, striking out a batter without issuing a walk. He's unbeaten in his last nine outings, with his only loss this season coming on April 9 at home to these same Devil Rays.
Alex Rios went 3-for-5 and drove in two runs, while Frank Catalanotto doubled twice and had two RBI for the Blue Jays, now an even 12-12 on the road. Shea Hillenbrand homered for Toronto.
Mark Hendrickson was tagged with the defeat as the left-hander allowed eight hits and three runs in 6 1/3 innings to drop his third consecutive start.
Ty Wigginton connected on a solo homer for the Devil Rays, who have lost eight of their last nine games, are just 12-13 at home and are now 12 games out of contention in the standings.
Left-hander Gustavo Chacin gets the call to the hill for the Blue Jays this afternoon as he tries to keep his unblemished career mark (3-0) against Tampa Bay intact.
Chacin last took the mound on Tuesday when he allowed two earned runs on four hits and four walks, while striking out just one over five innings. While his control may not have been there, Chacin still managed to pick up the victory and move to 6-1 on the campaign.
The victory over Boston was a triumphant return to action for Chacin, who had been on the disabled list with a strained elbow and forearm since May 10.
As for the Devil Rays, they have Doug Waechter slated to start today, the right-hander still in search of his first victory of the season.
Now in his fourth year in the majors, Waechter was saddled with his second straight loss on Tuesday when he gave up five runs on five hits, over the same number of innings against Baltimore on the road.
Waechter has struggled with his control thus far, issuing 18 bases-on-balls, against just 19 strikeouts, which has contributed mightily to his 6.70 ERA this season.
Waechter, who failed to earn a decision in his first appearance this year against Toronto, is 2-3 with a 6.12 ERA all-time versus the visitors.
Wigginton is hitting .320 over his last six games and has five RBI and three runs scored to show for his efforts for the Devil Rays. Carl Crawford, who missed Saturday's game with a knee strain and is questionable for today's meeting, has six RBI in his last four games.
Over the last week the Blue Jays have been one of the hottest hitting teams in the league, batting .332 with a slugging percentage of .599 thanks to 14 home runs. Vernon Wells, who is battling back from a shoulder injury, has four of those home runs, while Troy Glaus and Lyle Overbay check in with three apiece.
The Devil Rays are still 35-34 all-time against Toronto at Tropicana Field. The Jays are now 7-4 versus Tampa Bay this season, winning six of the last seven contests.

Toronto Blue Jays (31-23) At Tampa Bay Devil Rays (22-34)

In an effort to make sure the rest of the American League East does not overlook the league's lone Canadian representative, the Toronto Blue Jays shoot for their fifth win in the last six outings this afternoon as they close out a three-game set with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays at Tropicana Field.
Toronto has been one of the hottest teams in the division over the last couple of weeks, posting a record of 8-3 since May 22 and is now just two games out of first in the AL East as a result.
On Saturday former Cy Young award winner Roy Halladay threw eight strong innings in picking up his sixth straight decision in a 6-2 triumph on the road.
Halladay surrendered five hits and two runs, striking out a batter without issuing a walk. He's unbeaten in his last nine outings, with his only loss this season coming on April 9 at home to these same Devil Rays.
Alex Rios went 3-for-5 and drove in two runs, while Frank Catalanotto doubled twice and had two RBI for the Blue Jays, now an even 12-12 on the road. Shea Hillenbrand homered for Toronto.
Mark Hendrickson was tagged with the defeat as the left-hander allowed eight hits and three runs in 6 1/3 innings to drop his third consecutive start.
Ty Wigginton connected on a solo homer for the Devil Rays, who have lost eight of their last nine games, are just 12-13 at home and are now 12 games out of contention in the standings.
Left-hander Gustavo Chacin gets the call to the hill for the Blue Jays this afternoon as he tries to keep his unblemished career mark (3-0) against Tampa Bay intact.
Chacin last took the mound on Tuesday when he allowed two earned runs on four hits and four walks, while striking out just one over five innings. While his control may not have been there, Chacin still managed to pick up the victory and move to 6-1 on the campaign.
The victory over Boston was a triumphant return to action for Chacin, who had been on the disabled list with a strained elbow and forearm since May 10.
As for the Devil Rays, they have Doug Waechter slated to start today, the right-hander still in search of his first victory of the season.
Now in his fourth year in the majors, Waechter was saddled with his second straight loss on Tuesday when he gave up five runs on five hits, over the same number of innings against Baltimore on the road.
Waechter has struggled with his control thus far, issuing 18 bases-on-balls, against just 19 strikeouts, which has contributed mightily to his 6.70 ERA this season.
Waechter, who failed to earn a decision in his first appearance this year against Toronto, is 2-3 with a 6.12 ERA all-time versus the visitors.
Wigginton is hitting .320 over his last six games and has five RBI and three runs scored to show for his efforts for the Devil Rays. Carl Crawford, who missed Saturday's game with a knee strain and is questionable for today's meeting, has six RBI in his last four games.
Over the last week the Blue Jays have been one of the hottest hitting teams in the league, batting .332 with a slugging percentage of .599 thanks to 14 home runs. Vernon Wells, who is battling back from a shoulder injury, has four of those home runs, while Troy Glaus and Lyle Overbay check in with three apiece.
The Devil Rays are still 35-34 all-time against Toronto at Tropicana Field. The Jays are now 7-4 versus Tampa Bay this season, winning six of the last seven contests.

Blue Jays bring up Alfonzo

Veteran infielder Edgardo Alfonzo was called up Monday by the Toronto Blue Jays to replace injured John McDonald suffered a groin injury running to first base during Saturday's 3-2, 11th inning victory over the Chicago White Sox.
Alfonzo, 32, accepted a minor-league contract from Toronto last Thursday and reported to the New Hampshire Fisher Cats of the double-A Eastern League.
He will likely play second base for the Blue Jays, with sophomore Aaron Hill switching to shortstop.
"That's no problem," Hill said. "I'm confident I can do it and they're confident I can do it, otherwise they wouldn't have made the move."
To make room for Alfonzo on the 40-man roster, the Blue Jays moved pitcher A.J. Burnett to the 60-day disabled list.
Alfonzo played 18 games for the Los Angeles Angels before being released May 20, hitting .100 (5-50) with a run batted in and a run scored.
Los Angeles acquired him from the San Francisco Giants for Steve Finley on Dec. 21, 2005.
The former all-star averaged .277 with two home runs, 43 RBIs and 36 runs in 109 games for the Giants last season.
"He has got as good instincts as anyone I've ever seen," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. "If he gets to it, you're out."
Alfonzo is a career .285 hitter with 146 HRs, 740 RBIs and 773 runs in 1,494 games over 12 MLB seasons for the New York Mets, Giants and Angels.
He also represented Venezuela at the World Baseball Classic in March.
"He's had some big years in the big leagues," Gibbons said of Alfonzo.
"He's tailed off, but that's mother nature. This gives us and him a boost."

Quarterly Report on Major League Divisional Races (NL WEST)

By Jonathan Wachs
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

Now that most teams have played around forty games, let’s look on in the Divisional Races:

NL WEST

Here’s a division where all the teams are in the hunt for the title. Not much has been determined in the first quarter of the season except that the division is not nearly as bad as many thought it would be. All four teams currently have winning records and they are only separated by 2.5 games.

Arizona has been led by Brandon Webb (7-0), who is probably the early leader in the NL CY Young race. Unfortunately, the rest of their pitching staff has about a 6.00 ERA. Jose Valverde (13 saves), Luis Vizcaino (3.38 ERA) and Brandon Lyon have led a bullpen that is improved over last year’s version. After a miserable start, Shawn Green has been on a torrid pace and Chad Tracy was recently rewarded with a $13 million plus contract extension for his fine work. The offense has been a moneyball fan’s dream: Craig Counsell (.387 OBP), Conor Jackson (.372) and Luis Gonzalez (.387) have certainly managed to get on base. Most analysts of the minor leagues rank Arizona near the top of the list and they are going to need to dip into their system to get some rotation help if they are to win the division or compete for the wildcard.

Colorado has been one of this year’s early surprises. One of the best bets in recent years was against the Rockies on the road, but they have dramatically improved this year. The skepticism usually associated with their gaudy numbers are not valid this year as guys like Brad Hawpe who is hitting .340 overall is hitting .383 on the road. Matt Holliday has added 11 dingers and Garrett Atkins has filled out what has been a very productive, albeit no name, middle of the order. In Jeff Francis and Aaron Cook, the Rockies have developed two nice young starters. Brian Fuentes (10 saves, 1.45 ERA) is having his second straight good year. The Rockies appear to finally have a sound plan in place. In a division that will beat up on each other, you can’t count the Rockies out.

The Dodgers have gone the high risk/high reward strategy the last couple of years. Nomar Garciaparra is the perfect example. He has hit .369, but injuries have limited him. J.D. Drew has 8 homers and 33 RBI so far, but don’t you wish wagerweb.com let you bet on whether or not he would make it through the season? Kenny Lofton (.350 OBP) keeps chugging along, but the Dodgers are waiting for Furcal (.244) to get going. Brad Penny has been pitching well (4-1, 2.53), but also has a dicey injury history. Will Eric Gagne be healthy and effective for the second half of the year? Like Arizona, the Dodgers have a strong farm system. Unlike Arizona, they may be willing to trade a few to fill holes.

Most of the attention surrounding the Giants has been around Barry Bonds. The fact that Bonds is hitting close to .250 and still has an OBP close to .500 speaks volumes about the Giants offense, especially without Moises Alou. The starting rotation led by a resurgent Jason Schmidt (3.07 ERA), the recently returned to action Noah Lowry (3.38 ERA) and Jamey Wright (3.38 ERA) have pitched well enough to keep them in contention, but it would seem another bat is needed for them to stay in the race.

The San Diego Padres recently won 15 out of 18, but still appear to be the weakest team in the division. Mike Piazza has hit 6 homers and has hit better of late, but 15 RBI for a cleanup hitter is just not going to cut it. The challenges of Petco aside, this team has a definite power outage. Only Khali Green has joined Piazza in hitting over 5 homeruns to this point. As usual, Brian Giles continues to get on base with an OBP over .400 and Trevor Hoffman (7 saves, 1.20 ERA) and Scott Linebrink (3.27 ERA) lead a strong bullpen.

So it will come down to Arizona’s farm system, Colorado’s youngsters, The Dodger’s health, The Giants pitching and San Diego’s ability to keep doing it with mirrors. Stay tuned.

Quarterly Report on Divisional Races --- NL CENTRAL

By Jonathan Wachs
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

After a few weeks and with some surprises, the NL Central has begun to look a lot more as expected, particularly at the very top.

With a lineup containing the best player on the planet, the Cardinals have recently started to pull away and
seem well on their way to their third straight division title. Pujols’ numbers are mind-boggling (22 homers and 54 RBI). Barring an injury or a stunning slump, he’s practically locked up the MVP Award in May. Underrated David Eckstein has an OBP of .390 and provides the kind of spark few leadoff hitters can match. While injuries and age have slowed Jim Edmonds and Scott Rolen to some degree, they are both still dangerous hitters. Juan Encarcion and Yadier Molina have been disappointments, but the rest of the lineup has picked them up so far. Chris Carpenter has continued to pitch like an ace and starters Mark Mulder, Jeff Suppan, and Jason Marquis form a solid rotation that always keeps the Cardinals in the game. After a slow start, closer Jason Isringhausen has rounded into form. Only injuries will keep the Cards from playing in October.

Losers of 10 of their last 15, the “Big Red Mirage” are starting to play like their talent level indicates they should. Bronson Arroyo has been an outstanding acquisition and is obviously thrilled not to have to face those tough NL lineups, but you simply can’t send out such a mediocre starting rotation and expect to stay in the race. I told you a few weeks back to bet against them and those who listened are a bit richer today.

The Astros got off to a hot start before their starting pitching went through a horrid stretch. Roy Oswalt remains one of the league’s top pitchers and Wayne Rodriguez has been a nice surprise, but Andy Pettitte has struggled, Brandon Backe is out for the year, and the rest of the rotation has been inconsistent. Brad Lidge has struggled (mostly with his control), but expect him to turn things around. Morgan Ensberg hit home runs in six straight games early in the year and Lance Berkman would be an MVP candidate in a league without Pujols. Also, very quietly, Brad Ausmus has put together a very good year (.418 OBP). The Astros could stay in the wildcard race and may soon get the kind of help that could rocket them to the finish line.

The Brewers are fun to watch. They lead the majors in home runs, and youngsters Prince Fielder, Rickie Weeks, and Bill Hall mix nicely with veterans Geoff Jenkins, Carlos Lee, and Corey Koskie. The only thing is they may be too dependent on getting home runs and they strike out too much. A bit of small ball might help them at times. Getting Ben Sheets healthy would help a rotation that has one underrated star (Chris Capuano) and mostly back-of-the-rotation types. Derrick Turnbow is showing he’s no fluke, but the bullpen lacks depth. This year’s trendy sleeper pick will stay around a while, but ultimately doesn’t have enough for the playoffs.

First the Red Sox, then the White Sox, now the Cu … stop right there. Derrek Lee’s injury has revealed just how impotent the rest of the Cubs lineup is. Juan Pierre has an OBP of .271. Aramis Ramirez is hitting only .231. It’s ugly on the North Side. Greg Maddux’s May has been very different than his April and still no sign of Mark Prior. Dusty Baker must be on edge. No playoffs here, folks.

The Pirates were expected to be an improved team this year, but their starting pitching has failed them. Zach Duke has hit a bit of a tougher time facing teams the second time around, and whatever happened to Oliver Perez, who was thought to be a fast rising star? Not much hope in the Steel City either.

So early on, it looks like it’s the Cards division to lose and the Astros waiting for Roger Clemens to make them serious wildcard contenders.

Blue Jays return home to host Devil Rays

Eventually Casey Janssen is going to have to prove he can beat a team other than the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
The rookie righthander looks to build upon his latest impressive outing Monday when the Toronto Blue Jays host the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the opener of a three-game series.
Janssen (2-3, 3.06 ERA) has won both of his starts against the Angels, yielding only three hits in 15 1/3 scoreless innings. He held them to only two hits over eight frames Wednesday in a 3-0 triumph.
In his other three starts, however, the 24-year-old is 0-3 with a 5.82 ERA. One of those outings came against the Devil Rays on May 12, when he allowed four runs in seven innings of a 4-1 defeat.
Tampa Bay will counter with Seth McClung (2-4, 5.44), who opposed Janssen in that contest and allowed one run in seven innings. The righthander has yielded two runs or fewer in five straight starts, including Wednesday's 5-2 loss to the Chicago White Sox in which he surrendered two runs in seven frames.
The Devil Rays enter with a season-high four-game winning streak following a three-game sweep of Florida. Scott Kazmir was the star of Sunday's 3-0 win, permitting just four hits in eight innings and striking out 11 against only one walk.
On the other hand, Toronto was swept by Colorado as the team managed just seven runs in the three games. Alex Rios blasted a three-run homer and Gregg Zaun added three hits for the Blue Jays, who had won eight of 11 entering the series.