Angels 4 - 5 Blue Jays
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Blue Jays host Angels in rubber match

Aug 14, 2011 - 2:47 PM (Sports Network) - The rubber match of a three-game weekend series in Toronto is set to go down this afternoon as the hometown Blue Jays host the LA Angels of Anaheim at Rogers Centre.

The Angels will give the ball to Dan Haren this afternoon, and he has enjoyed tremendous success to date. The righty is 12-6 with a 2.91 ERA and has lost just once since June 18th. On Tuesday, Haren limited the Yankees to one run through six innings, but he struggled in the seventh frame and was handed a no-decision.

While Haren does own a 6-2 lifetime record versus the Blue Jays, he owns a lofty 5.40 ERA over that span.

Slated to oppose Haren for Toronto is lefty Brett Cecil, who is 4-5 with a 4.31 ERA. Cecil has put together four consecutive quality starts and is coming off a seven-inning performance against Oakland in which he permitted three runs. Remarkably, the last seven runs permitted by the hurler have all come via home runs.

Cecil is 1-1 lifetime versus the Angels with a 6.00 ERA.

On Saturday, Adam Lind hit the third grand slam of his career to help the Blue Jays to an 11-2 pummeling of the Angels in the second of a three-game set.

Lind finished with five RBI while Edwin Encarnacion hit a two-run home run and drove in three for the Blue Jays, who had lost three of four coming in.

Encarnacion is 16-for-39 during his 12-game hitting streak.

Ricky Romero (11-9) carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning and left the game after seven innings as he gave up just one run on two hits to win his fourth straight start.

Alberto Callaspo hit a solo home run and Mark Trumbo drove in the other run for the Angels, who have now lost three of four.

Jered Weaver (14-6) had his club record of 15 straight quality starts snapped as he was tagged for eight runs on eight hits over just 4 2/3 innings. It was his first appearance since serving a six-game suspension handed to him after he threw a pitch at the head of Detroit's Alex Avila in a game on July 31. Weaver appealed the decision, but dropped it after a start on August 5.

Weaver had gone 25 straight starts of six innings or more while allowing seven hits or less. That was the longest such streak in the majors since 1919.

"It was just one of those days out there," said Weaver. "It took 20-some starts for it to happen, but it happened and you can't hang your head over it. I'll be ready for my next start."

Angels designated hitter Torii Hunter extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a triple in the ninth. He is batting 19-for-40 during his run.

While the Angels are three games back of Texas in the AL West standings, Toronto is a hopeless 13 1/2 games behind front-running Boston in the AL East.

Los Angeles won two of three at home versus Toronto back in April.






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