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Marcum, Blue Jays feasting on home cooking

Aug 4, 2007 - 4:57 PM Texas (48-61) at Toronto (54-54) 1:07 pm EDT

TORONTO (Ticker) -- The Toronto Blue Jays are glad to be home.

Shaun Marcum (7-4, 3.67 ERA) takes the mound as the Blue Jays aim to extend their home-winning streak to season-best seven games when they face the Texas Rangers on Saturday.

Marcum has won three of his last four starts and is coming of his best outing of the season. The righthander held the Chicago White Sox to one run and two hits in eight innings in a 4-1 win on Sunday.

Toronto is a major league-best 25-11 at home since May 11. Roy Halladay threw six effective innings and Aaron Hill hit a tie-breaking single in the sixth to help the Blue Jays to a 6-4 win in Friday's series opener.

Prior to Friday's win, Toronto finished off a road trip in which it lost four of six to Tampa Bay and Chicago and scored just 15 runs in that span. However, the Blue Jays have flourished at home, outscoring opponents 41-9 during their six-game winning streak.

Meanwhile, Texas has lost five of seven and will probably have to got to its bullpen early.

Willie Eyre (3-3, 3.88) will get the start for the Rangers as a late replacement for Mike Wood, who was recalled from Class AAA Oklahoma to fill the roster spot for Kameron Loe, who was placed on the disabled list on Friday with lower back stiffness.

Wood was given the day off after allowing three runs and five hits in eight innings of a win for Class AAA Oklahoma on Wednesday.

Eyre will be making his first start since June 26, when he allowed three runs and three hits in 4 2/3 innings of a 9-6 win at the Detroit Tigers. Overall, the righthander has made 29 appearances this season.