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Blue Jays-Diamondbacks Preview

May 22, 2010 - 6:18 AM By ANTHONY GIORNALISTA STATS Senior Writer

Toronto (25-18) at Arizona (18-24), 8:10 p.m. EDT

Arizona Diamondbacks pitching offers an excellent matchup for Toronto's power hitters, and so far they have taken full advantage. The Blue Jays, though, might need more than impressive home run displays to emerge victorious.

Despite setting a season high for home runs hit in a game, the Blue Jays need a win Saturday night to tie up their three-game interleague series with the Diamondbacks.

This series plays to Toronto's strength as the top home run hitting team in the majors, and it connected six times in the opener Friday night but still lost 8-6.

The effort increased the Blue Jays' major league-leading home run total to 72 - 13 more than Boston and 16 more than the Diamondbacks (19-24), who lead the NL in that category. Arizona, meanwhile, has given up a major league-high 69 homers. Its 5.67 staff ERA also ranks last.

"That team, it's a tough lineup. Every guy can hit it out," said Diamondbacks starter Dan Haren, who gave up four of the Blue Jays' homers Friday. "It looks like they have one thing in mind, to let loose and try and hit homers. I've never seen anything like it really."

Toronto's performance included a career-high three homers from third baseman Edwin Encarnacion, who entered the game with two on the season. Encarnacion is 5 for 7 with six RBIs and five runs in his last two interleague games.

Fred Lewis, Jose Bautista and Adam Lind also connected for the Blue Jays (25-19). Bautista has a team-high 13 homers, already three shy of his career best, set in 2006 with Pittsburgh.

"We just need to mix in a few base hits once in a while, but I'm not complaining," manager Cito Gaston said.

Toronto may need another big game at the plate as it sends Dana Eveland (3-3, 4.98 ERA) to the mound. He has posted a 10.13 ERA while losing consecutive starts for the first time this season.

The left-hander surrendered five runs - three earned - nine hits and walked four in four innings of an 8-3 loss to Minnesota on Monday night.

Eveland may benefit from facing an NL opponent, as he is 2-0 with a 2.08 ERA in four career interleague starts. However, this will be his first start against the Diamondbacks, who have scored 29 runs while winning a season-best three straight games, and have won five of seven following a seven-game losing streak.

They have rebounded from that skid even as their pitching remains shaky, with a 5.31 ERA over the last seven games.

Arizona will now give the ball to Edwin Jackson (2-5, 6.33), who is coming off his best start of the season. He struck out a career-high 12 in eight scoreless innings of Arizona's 5-1 victory over Florida on Monday night.

Jackson went 13-9 with Detroit last year and earned a spot on the All-Star team, but had been a disappointment thus far in Arizona, entering his last contest with a 7.43 ERA and having lost his previous four starts. The right-hander's win Monday was his first since April 11, against Pittsburgh.

Jackson is 2-3 with a 3.89 ERA in 11 starts against the Blue Jays. This is his first interleague start for an NL team since July 3, 2004, when he allowed two runs and lasted 1 2-3 innings for the Dodgers in an 8-5 win over the Angels.