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Blue Jays-White Sox Preview

May 8, 2010 - 4:55 AM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

Toronto (17-13) at Chicago (12-17), 7:05 p.m. EDT

Jake Peavy appears ready to put a disappointing start to the season with the Chicago White Sox behind him.

The former Cy Young Award winner hopes for another strong outing Saturday night while trying to cool off the Toronto Blue Jays, who look to extend their season-high winning streak to seven.

After allowing fewer than three runs once in his first five starts, Peavy (1-2, 6.31 ERA) gave up four hits and struck out a season-best nine in seven scoreless innings of a 5-1 win over Kansas City on Monday.

"I got what I was looking for," said Peavy, who was 0-2 with a 7.85 ERA in April and went winless in a full month for the first time since June 2006. "It was nice to go out there and do what I know I'm capable of. Now I just got to maintain this and keep putting together quality starts.

"Just have the season start from May on."

The right-hander hopes for a better outing against the Blue Jays after allowing seven runs in 5 2-3 innings of an 8-7, 11-inning win at Toronto on April 12.

Toronto (18-13) opened this series with a 2-0 win Thursday and improved to 5-0 on its 10-game trip with a 7-4, 12-inning victory Friday. John Buck homered twice and shortstop Alex Gonzalez hit a three-run shot in the 12th as the Blue Jays improved to 11-3 away from home.

They are batting .289 and averaging 6.0 runs during their six-game winning streak.

"This team's done well," said Buck, who has seven homers. "We've been fighting all year."

Though Gonzalez is batting .264, he's hit nine home runs and driven in 25 runs. He has six RBIs against the White Sox this season.

Toronto hopes Brett Cecil (2-1, 2.61) can continue his success since being called up from Triple-A Las Vegas late last month when he takes the ball Saturday.

Cecil took a perfect game into the seventh before allowing a run with a hit while striking out 10 in eight innings of a 5-1 win at Cleveland on Monday.

"He was aggressive with a whole array of pitches, and makes it tough for hitters to sit on one pitch or on one location," Buck told the Blue Jays' official website. "He's able to spread the plate."

The left-hander has faced the White Sox once, giving up three runs in six innings of an 8-3 victory May 15.

Former Blue Jay Alex Rios hit his fifth home run Friday for Chicago (12-18), which has lost three of four. Rios is batting .351 with six RBIs during a nine-game hitting streak and .308 with two home runs against his former team in 2010.

Chicago hopes to have slugger Paul Konerko back after he missed the last two games with a sore neck. Konerko has a major league-leading 12 home runs.