Currently: The surging Toronto Blue Jays began their best stretch of the season on the road two weeks ago. After a successful homestand, the Blue Jays try to extend their recent strong play during a nine-game road trip.
Toronto looks to win its season-high sixth straight game Tuesday when it opens a three-game series at the Oakland Athletics.
The Blue Jays (28-25) have won five straight and 11 of their last 14 games since winning the back end of a doubleheader at Cleveland on May 12. They are coming off a four-game home sweep of the Kansas City Royals, concluding with Monday’s 7-2 win.
Besides Oakland (28-23), the Blue Jays’ road trip also includes a visit to the AL West-leading Los Angeles Angels, and then a trip to the Bronx to take on the New York Yankees.
“The road trip’s going to be a tough one, but we’re playing good baseball and we’ll run with it for as long as we can,” manager John Gibbons told the Blue Jays’ official Web site.
Toronto outscored Kansas City 23-4 during the weekend series, while its starting rotation earned all four wins and posted a 0.84 ERA. On Monday, Shaun Marcum pitched 7 1-3 strong innings while Greg Zaun and Alex Rios each drove in two runs.
“We’re playing as a team,” said shortstop Marco Scutaro, who homered along with Zaun. “The pitching is good, we’re scoring some runs. That’s what it’s all about.”
A.J. Burnett (5-4, 4.69 ERA) will look to continue the strong starting pitching for Toronto win his third straight start. Burnett, who has produced three consecutive quality starts, allowed three runs and six hits in six innings against the Angels on Thursday, striking out six in the 4-3 win.
The right-hander is 1-1 with a 3.91 ERA in four career starts against Oakland.
Tuesday’s game will be the first for Toronto against former teammate Frank Thomas. The Jays released the veteran slugger after he struggled in April, hitting .167 (10-for-60) in 16 games.
Thomas has fared much better with Oakland, posting a .315 batting average in 27 games.
“It will be good to see Frankie, it really will,” Gibbons said.
Thomas went 6-for-11 with a homer over the weekend to help the A’s complete a three-game sweep of the Boston Red Sox. Oakland completed the sweep Sunday with a 6-3 win - its fourth straight victory overall.
“It’s huge,” left fielder Jack Cust, who hit a two-run homer Sunday, said of sweeping Boston. “They came in on a hot streak, and they’re the world champs.”
Oakland’s four-game winning streak is one shy of its season-best five-game run from April 8-12, which began with a three-game sweep of the Blue Jays in Toronto.
The A’s send Greg Smith (2-4, 3.18) to the mound Monday, as he tries to snap a personal four-game losing streak. He is 0-4 over his last five starts despite a 3.41 ERA, as he has received only two total runs of support in those outings. Smith allowed two runs and five hits in seven innings of a 3-2 loss last Tuesday against Tampa Bay.
The rookie left-hander gave up three runs - two earned - and two hits in six innings at Toronto on April 9, when he did not factor in the decision of Oakland’s 6-3 win.
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