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Angels-Blue Jays Preview

Apr 17, 2010 - 10:47 PM By MIKE LIPKA STATS Writer

Los Angeles (4-7) at Toronto (7-4), 1:07 p.m. EDT

The Los Angeles Angels may have put an end to their cold start with their first back-to-back wins of 2010, but in order to complete a three-game sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays, they'll have to go through one of the hottest pitchers of the early season.

After flirting with a no-hitter in his last start, Ricky Romero hopes to help salvage the series finale for the Blue Jays on Sunday as the Angels finish a six-game road trip.

Los Angeles (5-7) won its third straight AL West title last year but stumbled out of the gates in 2010, losing four of its first five and seven of 10 before arriving in Toronto.

Every starter had at least one hit in Friday night's 7-5 victory, while second baseman Howie Kendrick sparked Saturday's 6-3 win with three hits and three RBIs, including his first home run.

"There's definitely a confidence around Howie," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "It resurfaced at the end of last year and it's with him now. If he has a bad game, he's good with his approach, he's good with getting to the next game and not trying to reinvent the wheel."

Kendrick and his teammates will have a tough task if Romero (1-0, 1.80 ERA) pitches like he did Tuesday.

The young left-hander took a no-hitter into the eighth inning against the Chicago White Sox before losing the bid when former Blue Jays outfielder Alex Rios hit a two-run home run.

"It just wasn't one of those nights where it was destined to happen for me and maybe it never will be," Romero said. "To come that close, it's pretty cool. It's an awesome feeling."

Romero still picked up the victory in Toronto's 4-2 win, striking out 12. He has allowed a total of six hits in 15 innings over his first two starts, with opponents hitting .120 against him.

"His stuff is so good," outfielder Vernon Wells told the Blue Jays' official website. "Once he harnesses it, and realizes how good he really is and what he's capable of doing when he's on the mound, he can do things like this."

In his lone appearance against the Angels, Romero allowed two runs in six innings of an 8-3 Toronto win Aug. 23.

Ervin Santana (0-2, 6.94) has found less success against the Blue Jays, going 2-3 with a 5.97 ERA in six career meetings. The right-hander has also struggled through a difficult April, walking six and allowing four home runs in 11 2-3 innings.

Five of those walks and two of the homers came during a 7-5 loss to the New York Yankees on Tuesday.

The Angels will hope to provide him with better defense than they did for Joe Saunders on Saturday. Both runs Saunders allowed in eight innings were unearned after a pair of errors by third baseman Brandon Wood.

Otherwise, the Blue Jays (7-5) struggled offensively, going 2 for 11 (.182) with runners in scoring position. As a team, they are batting .230 and have struck out 103 times - most in the majors.

Still, Toronto's start has been nearly a polar opposite of the Angels' first 12 games. The Blue Jays won five of their first six and hadn't lost consecutive games until Saturday, but they've now dropped four of six.

The Angels will be seeking their first sweep at Rogers Centre since they won three straight there from July 9-11, 2004.