THREE-GAME SERIES AT ROGERS CENTRE
Monday, 6:07 p.m. • FSN, 96.3-FM
RHP Ricky Nolasco (4-5, 5.65 ERA) vs. RHP R.A. Dickey (6-4, 4.25)
Tuesday, 6:07 p.m. • FSN, 96.3-FM
RHP Kevin Correia (2-7, 6.11) vs. LHP J.A. Happ (5-2, 4.12)
Wednesday, 11:37 a.m. • FSN, 96.3-FM
RHP Phil Hughes (6-2, 3.46) vs. RHP Marcus Stroman (3-0, 5.40)
TWINS UPDATE
This the start of their longest and perhaps most difficult road trip of the year. Their only three-city trip of the season pits them against two first-place teams (Toronto and Detroit) and the defending World Series champion (Boston). ... They are 14-15 on the road, and have gone .500 or within one game of it on every road trip this season. But they are 39-67 all-time at Rogers Centre, and have not won a series in Toronto since 2005, going 7-20 in the interim. ... They won two of three games against the Blue Jays in April, and are trying to win the season series for the first time in nine years. They are 18-44 in that time. ... Phil Hughes has made 21 career starts against Toronto, and is 5-7 with a 4.96 ERA. ... Potential pinch hitter Josmil Pinto homered in his only at-bat against Blue Jays closer Casey Janssen.
BLUE JAYS UPDATE
Though they have lost their past two games, they are still 20-6 since Mother's Day and have opened a 5½-game lead in the AL East, a division they haven't won since 1993. In fact, Joe Carter's World Series-winning walk-off home run is Toronto's most recent postseason at-bat. ... They are only 19-15 at home, but have won nine of their last 13. ... With 314, they are one of only three major league teams to have scored 300 runs, but they have been shut out in back-to-back games. ... first baseman Edwin Encarnacion is second in the AL in home runs (19) and fourth in RBI (50), while RF Jose Bautista ranks fifth (15) and seventh (44). ... Encarnacion also leads the majors in extra-base hits with 37. ... Former Twins knuckleballer Dickey is 2-3 with a 6.58 ERA against his former team.
PHIL MILLER
