Cubs 2 - 9 Blue Jays
Final
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Bautista, Blue Jays continue skirmish with Cubs

Sep 9, 2014 - 2:50 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - If the Toronto Blue Jays are indeed out of the running for an American League wild card playoff spot, someone might want to let Jose Bautista in on it.

The Toronto slugger has continued on a recently torrid pace for the Blue Jays as they've stayed on the fringes of playoff contention, and he'll attempt to continue the run on Tuesday night when they host the Chicago Cubs in game two of a three-game set at Rogers Centre.

Toronto's win in Monday's opener was its seventh in nine games, though the club remains behind a handful of teams vying for the second and final wild card position. Bautista homered in the 8-0 victory, stretching his current hit streak to 12 games and leaving the ballpark for the 32nd time this season.

He's homered in six straight home games, one shy of joining Hall of Famers Roy Campanella and Willie Mays as the only players in 100 years to hit one in seven straight games at home.

His blast on Monday was No. 200 with Toronto.

"I'm very proud and honored to have done it here," he said. "I'm just really happy."

The Cubs have scored just seven runs in a four-game losing streak, including a three-hit shutout in Monday's loss to rookie Marcus Stroman. One more loss would equal the five-game skid they endured in mid-July.

They face veteran Mark Buehrle on Tuesday, and the lefty will try to erase a stretch of six starts in which he's 0-2 with a 4.36 earned run average while getting barely more than two runs per game from the offense. He allowed five hits in eight scoreless innings of his last outing on Thursday against Tampa Bay, a game the Blue Jays ultimately won in 10 innings, 1-0.

Buehrle hasn't won at home since June 1, but he's 3-2 in seven starts against the Cubs with a 2.42 ERA.

Chicago counters with righty Jake Arrieta, who's pitched six innings and allowed two or fewer runs in eight straight starts. He defeated Milwaukee, 7-1, in his last outing seven days ago after going six innings and giving up five hits.

He's not been quite as successful on the road, however, losing three decisions in his last four starts. In interleague play, though, he's won two straight while surrendering a single run in 14 2/3 innings.

His last start against Toronto came two years ago, when he was with Baltimore.

On Monday, the 23-year-old Stroman (10-5) retired 19 in a row at one point and struck out eight with no walks in his first career complete game.

Dioner Navarro had two RBI for the Blue Jays.

Chicago's Jacob Turner (5-9) allowed five runs -- four earned -- on seven hits over six innings.

The Jays and Cubs are meeting for the first time since 2008, when Chicago took two of three games north of the border.






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