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Giants-Blue Jays Preview

Jun 17, 2010 - 8:17 PM By MIKE LIPKA STATS Writer

San Francisco (37-28) at Toronto (36-31), 7:07 p.m. EDT

The San Francisco Giants enjoyed interleague play during their recent homestand, but they're still looking for their first victory in an AL park this season.

To get one, it will have to come during this weekend's three-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays, who face San Francisco's Barry Zito in Friday night's opener.

The Giants (37-28) finished a 5-1 homestand against Oakland and Baltimore with a 6-3 win over the Orioles on Wednesday. The most promising sign was their resurgent offense, which has scored at least six runs eight times in the last 13 games.

Aubrey Huff and Juan Uribe hit back-to-back home runs Wednesday. The Giants' third and fourth hitters have combined for 13 homers and 33 RBIs since May 26.

"Huff and Uribe like to hit in those situations with runners on base and a chance to drive in runs," manager Bruce Bochy said. "They've both done a good job in that 3-4 hole."

This is the Giants' last series of the year at an AL park and they had trouble offensively in their only other one, managing one run while getting swept in three games at Oakland from May 21-23. Their designated hitters went 0 for 11 in the series.

Zito (7-2, 3.10 ERA) also struggled that weekend, but he beat the Athletics on Saturday, allowing two runs in seven innings of a 5-4 win. The left-hander snapped a four-start winless drought and posted his 10th quality start in 13 outings.

Zito hasn't faced Toronto since 2006, his final year with Oakland, but he's 5-2 with a 3.52 ERA against the Blue Jays.

Toronto (36-31) was held to 13 runs while losing six of seven from June 6-13 but bounced back this week to win two of three at San Diego.

The Blue Jays had four home runs at spacious Petco Park - three by John Buck - and lead the majors with 103.

"I don't think you can change the way you hit just because of a particular park," Buck said. "It's not that easy. I just went about my approach aggressively, like I would no matter where we're at."

The Blue Jays should be very comfortable at Rogers Centre, where they've won 13 of 18 while averaging 6.1 runs and 2.3 homers.

Some Toronto hitters, however, are slumping. Jose Bautista ranks among the major league leaders with 18 homers, but he is 2 for 36 (.056) with 13 strikeouts and no RBIs in his last 10 games. Adam Lind is batting .130 (6 for 46) without a home run in June.

Brandon Morrow (4-5, 5.14) is considerably hotter as he takes the ball Friday. Although the right-hander is 1-1 in his last three starts, he has allowed a total of three runs and 12 hits in 20 innings in that stretch, striking out 15.

He was on the losing end of a 1-0 game Saturday at Colorado.

"He did everything he could," manager Cito Gaston said of Morrow, who grew up in northern California but has never faced the Giants.

This game is the first in Toronto for San Francisco catcher Bengie Molina since he spent 2006 with the Blue Jays. Molina's brother, Jose, backs up Buck.

The Giants have gone 7-2 against the Blue Jays, but they haven't visited Toronto since 2002. Their last game in Canada was a 7-2 win at Montreal on May 22, 2004.