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Blue Jays host Dodgers in rubber game of series

Jun 21, 2007 - 12:46 PM LA Dodgers (40-31) at Toronto (34-36) 7:07 pm EDT

TORONTO (Ticker) - After exchanging blowout wins against each other, the Toronto Blue Jays host the Los Angeles Dodgers in the rubber game of their interleague series Thursday.

Responding to the Dodgers' 10-1 triumph in the series opener, the Blue Jays scored eight runs in the second inning on Wednesday on their way to a 12-1 laugher.

Looking for a repeat of his last outing, Shaun Marcum (4-2, 3.41 ERA) starts for Toronto. The righthander struck out a career-high 11 batters in a 7-3 win over Washington on Saturday.

Marcum is 3-0 with a 2.38 ERA in seven starts since being moved into the rotation following 13 relief appearances One of the wins was a win over the Dodgers on June 9, when he gave up seven hits in 6 2/3 innings en route to a 1-0 win.

With Jason Schmidt having undergone shoulder surgery, Chad Billingsley (4-0, 3.09) moves into the rotation for the Dodgers. The Dodgers' first-round pick in 2003, Billingsley made 16 starts last season but was done in largely by a lack of control, walking 58 and striking out 59 over 90 innings.