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Blue Jays-Rangers Preview

Jun 9, 2009 - 4:54 AM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

Toronto (32-27) at Texas (33-23), 8:05 p.m. EDT

The Texas Rangers' early success has helped Ron Washington keep his job.

A day after the club exercised a contract option on their manager, the Rangers look to even their four-game set with the visiting Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday night.

On Monday, the team announced it will stick with Washington through at least 2010. Hours later, Texas (33-24) fell 6-3 to Toronto in the opener of a 10-game homestand.

Despite the setback, the Rangers lead the AL West by four games over the Los Angeles Angels and decided to reward Washington, who is 187-194 since being hired in 2006.

"We're excited about the direction the club is going under Ron's leadership and we look forward to a long, productive relationship with him as our manager," general manager Jon Daniels said.

Monday's loss, however, was the fifth in eight games for Texas, which returned from a 3-3 trip against the New York Yankees and Boston. The Rangers, who lost for the fourth time in their last 16 home games, also announced Monday that All-Star Josh Hamilton will undergo abdominal surgery and could miss up to six weeks.

Hamilton was batting .240 with six homers and 24 RBIs in 35 games.

"The reality is we haven't had 100 percent of Josh all year," Daniels told the Rangers' official Web site. "This team has proved that they can win with the guys we have here."

Marlon Byrd had two hits and an RBI on Monday for Texas, which looks to avoid losing three straight at home for the first time in 2009. Byrd is batting .357 (15 for 42) in his last 11 games, and 5 for 13 (.385) against the Blue Jays this season.

Doug Mathis (0-0, 0.00 ERA) is expected to make his first start of the season for Texas in place of Brandon McCarthy, who went on the disabled list with a stress fracture in his right shoulder blade.

Mathis, who went 1-1 with an 8.83 ERA in four starts for the Rangers in 2008, pitched a scoreless inning of relief at Boston on Sunday in his first appearance since being recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City on Wednesday.

The right-hander will face Toronto for the first time.

Adam Lind hit a pair of two-run homers Monday for Toronto (32-27), which snapped a nine-game road losing streak with its second straight victory overall and third in a row over Texas.

The Blue Jays are 6-4 since going winless during a nine-game road trip from May 19-27.

"That road trip was two weeks ago," said Lind, who is 18 for 40 (.450) with four homers in his last 10 games. "It's not even in our memory anymore."

Lyle Overbay, who earned AL player of the week honors Monday, extended his hitting streak to 14 games. He's batting .444 (20 for 45) with 12 RBIs during that span, and is 4 for 7 against the Rangers in 2009.

Brian Tallet (3-3, 4.54) takes the ball for the Blue Jays after giving up five runs and six hits over six innings before leaving without a decision in a 6-5 loss to the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday.

The left-hander has allowed 10 total runs in the first two innings over his last five starts.

"It's that first couple of innings - I'm really laboring," Tallet told the Blue Jays' official Web site. "That's just not acceptable."

Though Tallet is 0-1 with a 2.35 ERA in eight relief appearances against the Rangers, this will be his first start versus them.