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Blue Jays-White Sox Preview

May 9, 2010 - 4:31 AM By ANTHONY GIORNALISTA STATS Senior Writer

Toronto (18-13) at Chicago (12-18), 2:05 p.m. EDT

In need of a bounceback game at the plate, the Toronto Blue Jays may be facing Gavin Floyd at an ideal time.

After their six-game winning streak came to an end, the Blue Jays look to continue their dominance against the struggling Floyd as they conclude a four-game series with the White Sox on Sunday.

Toronto (18-14) averaged 6.0 runs during its run, but was limited to five hits in a 7-3 loss Saturday night.

One of those hits was Alex Gonzalez's 10th homer of the season. His three-run shot in the 12th inning Friday helped lift Toronto to a 7-4 win.

Gonzalez, though, didn't get much help Saturday. Designated hitter Adam Lind was back in the lineup after a day off, but went 0 for 4, and is 2 for 31 with 10 strikeouts over his last eight games.

"They're getting the ball more to his weakness," manager Cito Gaston told the Blue Jays' official website. "They're trying to stay up in the strike zone, which is a pitch he has to lay off."

Lind is 5 for 11 with a homer and two doubles against Floyd (1-3, 6.89 ERA), who has the highest ERA on the entire staff - up nearly three runs per game over last year. He's also posted a 7.54 ERA in losing all four of his starts against Toronto, getting just two runs of support.

Floyd faced the Blue Jays on April 13, and surrendered four runs and nine hits while throwing a season-high 116 pitches over six innings of a 4-2 loss in Toronto. On Tuesday, the right-hander yielded six runs and a season-high 13 hits in 6 1-3 innings of a 7-2 loss to Kansas City on Tuesday.

The Blue Jays will counter with Ricky Romero (3-1, 3.00), who opposed Floyd last month and was outstanding in his first career start against the White Sox. The left-hander carried a no-hit bid into the eighth before allowing only a two-run homer to Alex Rios, and struck out a career-high 12.

"He had a great breaking ball," White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said of Romero. "He may be the best guy we've faced all year long."

Romero won in his last outing despite allowing a season-high five runs and nine hits in six innings of an 8-5 victory over Cleveland on Tuesday.

He now has to contend with White Sox slugger Paul Konerko, who is batting .360 with three home runs and two doubles against left-handers.

After missing two games with a sore neck, Konerko hit his major league-leading 13th homer Saturday to help Chicago win for the first time in three games.

Slumping second baseman Gordon Beckham was also back in the lineup after being held out Friday. Beckham is 2 for 23 with 10 strikeouts over his last seven games.