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Aug 2, 2009 - 6:40 AM By MATT BECKER STATS Senior Writer

Toronto (50-54) at Oakland (44-59), 4:05 p.m. EDT

The Toronto Blue Jays' inability to win consistently on the road has essentially knocked them out of the AL East race.

After picking up a rare road victory, the Blue Jays look to win their first series away from Toronto in nearly seven weeks in the finale of a three-game set with the Oakland Athletics on Sunday.

The Blue Jays (50-54) bounced back from Friday's series-opening 8-5 loss with a 6-5 victory on Saturday. Trailing 4-3 in the fourth inning, Aaron Hill hit a three-run homer, his team-leading 25th.

Hill has been locked in at the plate lately, batting .348 (16 for 46) with five home runs, five doubles and 14 RBIs in his last 11 games after going 0 for 16 in his previous four. The All-Star second baseman trails only Justin Morneau (27), Mark Teixeira (26) and Carlos Pena (26) among the leading home-run hitters in the league.

"I can't say enough about him," Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston said. "I still think he can get better, believe it or not. There are some things I'd like to see him do. I'd like to see him sit on his pitch and not go after every pitch when he's up there."

Although Hill has been red hot, it hasn't led to many Toronto wins. The Blue Jays have three victories in their last nine and are 9-20 since June 27.

The team's biggest problems have come on the road, where Toronto is 5-13 since sweeping a three-game series at Philadelphia from June 16-18 to pull within four games of first place in the East. The Blue Jays have lost all five road series since then, dropping 12 games back of the first-place New York Yankees.

Although the Blue Jays have been scuffling on the road, they have to like their chances in the series finale with Ricky Romero (9-4, 3.59 ERA) on the mound.

Romero is 3-0 with a 3.93 ERA in his last five road starts since allowing one run in 6 1-3 innings in a 1-0 loss at Texas on June 11. Toronto has also won seven of Romero's last nine starts overall.

In Monday's 11-4 win at Seattle, the left-hander gave up four runs and 10 hits - all singles - in six innings.

Romero was sharp in his only start against the A's on April 19, giving up four hits with six strikeouts in seven innings of a 1-0 win.

Oakland (44-59) had a chance to send Saturday's game to extra innings, but pinch-hitter Ryan Sweeney struck out to end the game, stranding the potential tying run at third base. The A's have lost 10 of 17 since the All-Star break.

Vin Mazzaro (2-7, 5.16) takes the ball for Oakland in the finale, again seeking his first victory in nearly two months.

After throwing 13 2-3 scoreless innings in winning his first two major league starts, very little has gone right for Mazzaro. The right-hander is 0-7 with a 6.65 ERA in his last nine outings and has yielded 20 runs - 16 earned - and 27 hits over 13 1-3 innings in his last three.

On Tuesday at Boston, Mazzaro was tagged for six runs and nine hits in six innings of a 9-8, 11-inning win. Oakland's three-run rally in the ninth helped the 22-year-old rookie from being saddled with his seventh consecutive loss.

Mazzaro, winless since June 7, will make his first start against the Blue Jays.