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Blue Jays-Indians Preview

Jun 30, 2010 - 3:49 AM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

Toronto (40-37) at Cleveland (28-47), 7:05 p.m. EDT

A week ago, the Cleveland Indians were mired in what would become their longest skid of 2010. Now, they are on the verge of matching their longest winning streak of the season.

The Indians try for a fourth straight victory as they continue their home series with the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday night.

Cleveland (29-47) snapped a seven-game slide by beating Cincinnati on Sunday before taking the first two of this four-game set. Matt LaPorta hit his second home run and Travis Hafner added two hits in a 5-4 win Tuesday.

The Indians, who have won four in a row twice this year, are on the verge of winning a series for the first time since June 11-13.

"This is something we can all build off of," said closer Kerry Wood, who has recorded three saves in as many days. "Everybody is on a roll right now."

Cleveland scored four times with two outs Tuesday and have scored 44 percent of their runs after two were out, third-best in the majors.

LaPorta, called up from the minors Sunday, is 3 for 7 in the series and 5 for 13 against the Blue Jays this season.

Hafner is 6 for 16 with two RBIs against Toronto in 2010.

Aaron Laffey (0-2, 6.37) will make his second start since being recalled from the minors to join the rotation after an unsuccessful relief stint. He allowed five runs in four innings of a 10-3 loss at Cincinnati on Saturday.

"He needs to throw more strikes," manager Manny Acta said.

In his only start against Toronto, the left-hander allowed six hits in seven innings of a 12-0 win May 10, 2008.

Toronto (40-38), which swept Cleveland at Progressive Field from May 3-5, has lost three in a row and seven of nine. The Blue Jays have dropped 10 of 13 on the road and head to Yankee Stadium this weekend.

"The last two road trips haven't been good," manager Cito Gaston said. "This one has started off bad."

The Blue Jays turn to Jesse Litsch (0-2, 8.78), who has been inconsistent in his return after a year-long recovery from Tommy John surgery.

After throwing seven innings in a 3-0 victory over San Francisco on June 19, he allowed six runs and walked four in four innings of a 9-0 loss to Philadelphia on Saturday, his third start of the season.

"I don't think he's quite back to where he should be," Gaston told the Blue Jays' official website.

This will be the right-hander's first appearance against Cleveland.

Toronto's Adam Lind, who had been 1 for 17, hit a two-run single Tuesday.

All-Star second baseman Aaron Hill went 0 for 4 for the second straight night and is 4 for 32 in the last nine games. Toronto has scored 27 runs and hit .224 during that span.