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Giants-Blue Jays Preview

Jun 19, 2010 - 3:34 AM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

San Francisco (37-28) at Toronto (36-31), 1:07 p.m. EDT

In the midst of his most successful stretch of the year, Matt Cain has a good chance to help San Francisco win its first interleague road game of 2010.

Cain seeks to earn a fifth consecutive victory overall and continue his recent interleague success as the Giants hope to even their weekend set with the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday afternoon.

Among the major-league ERA leaders, Cain (6-4, 2.05 ERA) allowed one run in seven innings of a 6-2 win over Oakland on Sunday. The right-hander has given up two runs over 33 innings while winning his last four starts. The last time he lost - a 1-0 defeat at Oakland on May 22 - the only run he allowed in eight innings was unearned.

Cain's current undefeated stretch is his longest since winning six consecutive starts May 17-June 14 last season.

"I'm just trying to get guys to swing early," he said. "I think I'm locating both sides of the plate a little better. That carries into being able to get other stuff working as well."

Cain is 6-8 with a 2.80 ERA in 16 interleague starts, but 3-1 with an 0.88 ERA in his last five. This will be his first appearance against the Blue Jays (37-31), who won Friday's series opener 3-2 behind a solo home run and three RBIs by Edwin Encarnacion.

The veteran third baseman is hitting .204, but he's 10 for 30 in nine interleague contests this season. Six of Encarnacion's nine home runs and 11 of his 22 RBIs have come in those games.

"I've just got to keep going and keep playing hard," said Encarnacion, who was mired in a 2-for-26 slump entering Friday's game. "I hope everything is going to come in a bunch now."

The former Cincinnati Red is a lifetime .341 hitter versus the Giants. He's 3 for 9 against Cain.

Toronto has won two in a row overall and is 4-6 in interleague play.

The Giants (37-29) have lost three straight overall on the road and are 0-4 away from home in interleague play. They were swept at Oakland from May 21-23.

Aubrey Huff had two hits Friday, is 5 for 7 in his last two games, and 10 for 28 in interleague play this season. He's 5 for 15 against Toronto scheduled starter Jesse Litsch (0-1, 27.00).

In his first start since undergoing Tommy John surgery last June, Litsch allowed seven runs and nine hits in 2 1-3 innings of a 10-3 loss at Colorado on Sunday.

"What I saw (Sunday) wasn't what I saw in 2008 before he left," manager Cito Gaston said of Litsch, who went 13-9 with a 3.58 ERA in 2008. "I don't know what to think right now. I hope he is back."

Making his first start versus San Francisco, the right-hander is 1-4 with a 7.76 ERA as a starter during interleague play.