• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Cardinals-Blue Jays Preview

Jun 21, 2010 - 7:00 PM By ANTHONY GIORNALISTA STATS Senior Writer

St. Louis (38-31) at Toronto (38-32), 7:07 p.m. EDT

St. Louis Cardinals starter Jaime Garcia has shown an uncanny ability to keep the ball in the park, but he has yet to face a lineup as daunting as the Toronto Blue Jays'.

The impressive young left-hander takes on the majors' top power-hitting team as the Cardinals open a three-game series with the Blue Jays on Tuesday night.

In his first full season, Garcia is emerging as one of the majors' top pitchers, surrendering two earned runs or fewer in each of his 13 starts.

The 23-year-old Garcia (6-3, 1.59 ERA) suffered his first defeat in seven starts Wednesday night, surrendering two runs and striking out seven in seven innings as St. Louis lost 2-1 to Seattle.

Once again, Garcia didn't allow a home run. Opponents have hit two in 79 1-3 innings against him this season.

Toronto (38-32) could prove to be tougher to contain. The Blue Jays have connected in 17 of their last 18 home games and lead the majors with 106 homers overall.

Toronto has five players with at least 10 homers, led by Jose Bautista's 18 - one shy of Detroit's Miguel Cabrera for the major league lead.

Garcia, facing the Blue Jays for the first time, may need much more run support than he has received of late from the NL Central-leading Cardinals (38-31). He has gotten two runs or fewer to work with in five of his last six starts.

St. Louis was limited to five hits in a 3-2 loss to Oakland on Sunday.

Cardinals left fielder Matt Holliday, however, was a bright spot again with two home runs. He went 8 for 12 with four homers and eight RBIs in the three-game set.

"You feel more confident when you get results," Holliday said. "It's a day-to-day battle. You keep grinding it out."

Holliday has not homered in 12 games against the Blue Jays, hitting .240 with 17 strikeouts. He's 0 for 3 against Brett Cecil (7-3, 3.58), who takes the mound for Toronto.

Cecil had a personal five-game winning streak snapped in his last start, surrendering five runs in six innings of an 8-2 loss to San Diego on Tuesday night.

The left-hander has won two straight at Rogers Centre and has allowed two runs or fewer in three of his four outings there this season.

Cecil is facing the Cardinals for the first time.

Toronto had a three-game winning streak snapped Sunday with a 9-6 loss to San Francisco.

Cleanup hitter Vernon Wells remains in a rut for Toronto, going 4 for 41 in his last 12 games. The veteran center fielder is hitting .135 with one homer and two RBIs in 11 interleague games this year.

Toronto hasn't faced St. Louis since winning two of three games at home in June 2005.

The Cardinals have won two of three games in each of their three interleague series, but they all came at home. They've lost five of six on the road, getting held to 19 runs.

The Blue Jays are 13-5 at home since May 1.