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White Sox-Blue Jays Preview

Apr 11, 2010 - 11:06 PM By MIKE LIPKA STATS Writer

Chicago (1-4) at Toronto (4-1), 7:20 p.m. EDT

The Toronto Blue Jays couldn't be happier heading into Monday night's home opener after winning five straight to close their road trip.

They're also likely thrilled about which team will be waiting for them at Rogers Centre.

The Chicago White Sox have dropped 10 straight in Canada, a trend they hope Jake Peavy can change in his first appearance against the Blue Jays.

The game will also be the first against Toronto for outfielder Alex Rios, who signed a seven-year contract with the Blue Jays worth a guaranteed $69,835,000 in April 2008 before they waived him Aug. 10.

"You get traded or things like that happen," Rios told the White Sox's official Web site. "I thought I was going to stay there, but it's part of the game. I have a lot of good friends and good memories, too. We'll see what happens."

He'll find his old teammates with an early lead in the AL East, a first-week surprise after the Blue Jays (5-1) traded ace Roy Halladay in December.

Toronto's unheralded staff has a 2.70 ERA, completing a three-game sweep of Baltimore with a 5-2 victory Sunday.

The Blue Jays trailed 2-1 in the eighth inning before back-to-back home runs by Jose Bautista and Alex Gonzalez, with Gonzalez hitting his second of the game.

"I think we have to give most of the credit to the pitching staff. They keep us in games," Bautista said. "They've given us a chance to do these type of things when the situations come up."

Toronto, which also started 5-1 last year, swept Baltimore even though Vernon Wells went 1 for 10 with four strikeouts in the series, cooling off after racking up four homers and seven RBIs in the opening set at Texas.

Brian Tallet (1-0, 2.70) beat the Rangers 7-4 on Wednesday, allowing four runs - two earned - and four hits while striking out six in 6 2-3 innings. The left-hander was sharp in his lone start against the White Sox last season, tossing 5 2-3 innings in a 14-0 win at Chicago on April 24.

The White Sox (2-4) won once in seven meetings with Toronto in 2009. They're 4-16 against the Blue Jays since their last win at Rogers Centre, 3-0 on June 1, 2007.

During the 10-game skid in Toronto, where Chicago will play four times this week, the White Sox are batting .167 and averaging 1.9 runs.

"It seems like every time we come to Toronto ... we can't do anything," catcher A.J. Pierzynski said after the White Sox were swept in a four-game set from May 15-18.

Peavy (0-0, 5.40) went 3-0 with a 1.35 ERA for the White Sox last season after being acquired from San Diego at the trade deadline, but he wasn't as good against Cleveland on Wednesday, allowing three runs and seven hits in five innings of a 5-3 loss.

"I didn't have good command by any means of anything," Peavy said.

That was the first of four consecutive losses for Chicago before it won 5-4 over Minnesota on Sunday, throwing out the potential tying run at home plate to end the game.

The Blue Jays, who've won their last four home openers, may have second baseman Aaron Hill available after he missed the last four games with a hamstring injury.