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Blue Jays-Rangers Preview

Sep 1, 2009 - 1:30 PM By MATT BECKER STATS Senior Writer

Toronto (59-70) at Texas (72-58), 8:35 p.m. EDT

Toronto Blue Jays left fielder Adam Lind has feasted on the pitching at Rangers Ballpark this season.

Texas now has the difficult task of trying to shut down Lind not just for one, but two games Tuesday.

Coming off a career performance, Lind looks to continue his surge in Arlington and knock the sliding Rangers further out of the playoff race as they meet for a doubleheader to open September.

Lind homered twice and finished with a career-high eight RBIs in Toronto's 18-10 victory over Texas (72-58) in Monday's opener. He hit a grand slam in the fourth inning and added a solo homer and three-run double in a seven-run ninth for the Blue Jays (57-70), who won for the fourth time in 15 games.

Toronto jumped out to an 11-0 lead midway through the fifth inning, but the Rangers came storming back. Texas scored seven in the fifth and trailed 11-10 after eight innings before the Jays' outburst in the ninth.

"You know you have to outslug these guys. They came back and showed why they're in the hunt for the playoffs," said Lind, who is batting .373 with three homers, six doubles and 15 RBIs during a 10-game hitting streak. "I hit it on the sweet spot on a couple of pitches."

Lind's RBI total were the most by a Toronto player since Roy Howell had a team-record nine 32 years ago.

It was Lind's second career multihomer game - the other was June 8, also in Arlington. In four games at Rangers Ballpark this year, Lind is batting .471 with five homes, two doubles and 14 RBIs. The Jays have won three of those contests.

Texas has lost three of four in Arlington after winning 12 of 15 there.

The Rangers, who finished just short of the largest comeback victory in franchise history, finished August 14-15 to drop four games behind wild card-leading Boston.

"We put ourselves in the position to make a push there at the end," Texas third baseman Michael Young said. "We don't really consider this to be a deflating loss."

With Monday's starter Derek Holland getting tagged for 10 runs in three innings, the Rangers need Tuesday's two starters to go deep into the games.

Dustin Nippert (4-2, 4.02 ERA) takes the ball in the opener, while Brandon McCarthy (5-2, 4.92) is scheduled to be activated from the disabled list to make his first start in three months in the second game.

Nippert struggled with his control Thursday against the New York Yankees, allowing two runs, four hits and a career-high seven walks in 3 2-3 innings of a 7-2 win.

This will be the right-hander's first career start against the Blue Jays after going 1-1 with a 1.93 ERA in three relief appearances against them last year.

McCarthy made 11 starts for Texas over the first two months of the season before going on the DL with a stress fracture in his right shoulder following an outing against the Yankees on June 4.

McCarthy spent most of August rehabbing with Triple-A Oklahoma City, and has shown great improvement, posting a 2.18 ERA with 21 strikeouts in 20 2-3 innings over his final four starts for the Redhawks.

In his only start of the season against the Blue Jays on April 21, McCarthy gave up three runs and six hits in six innings of a 5-4 victory.

Toronto counters with Brian Tallet (5-8, 5.09) in the opener and rookie Marc Rzepczynski (2-3, 3.58) in the second game.

Tallet, who spent most of August working out of the bullpen, is set to make his first start since yielding five runs and 10 hits in 5 2-3 innings of an 8-3 loss to Tampa Bay on Aug. 15. The left-hander is 0-1 with a 7.71 ERA in five relief appearances since.

Tallet's best start of the season came at Texas on June 9, as he gave up two hits and two walks in seven innings of a 9-0 win.

Rzepczynski gave up two runs and three hits in six innings of a 3-2 win over Tampa Bay on Wednesday, but didn't receive a decision. The left-hander was a little shaky, allowing a career-high five walks, but he was able to pitch out of trouble thanks to seven strikeouts.

This will be his 11th career start, and first against Texas.