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Blue Jays host Cubs north of the border

Sep 8, 2014 - 2:54 PM (Sports Network) - If nothing else, the schedule maker is being kind to Toronto.

But it remains to be seen if the Blue Jays can take advantage of the timely generosity on Monday night, when they host the Chicago Cubs to open a three- game series at Rogers Centre.

Toronto begins the week with four teams between it and the final American League wild card position, and starts a six-game homestand against a pair of sub-.500 opponents.

Of course, the Blue Jays played another below-.500 foe for three games over the weekend -- the Boston Red Sox -- and lost twice, so the records may be irrelevant.

Still, Toronto has won six of its last eight and has 20 games to close a five- game gap.

Rookie Marcus Stroman takes the ball for the Blue Jays with a chance to win a third consecutive start. He'd gone 0-3 in four starts to open August while toting an 8.66 earned run average, but won his last start in the month and then opened September with a 7-4 defeat of Tampa Bay last Wednesday.

"It's just baseball, sometimes you go through a tough stretch," Stroman said. "Same confidence, same game plan, tried to attack hitters each time out. Just went better."

In four meetings with National League foes this season -- three relief appearances and one start -- he's 2-0 with a 1.93 earned run average.

The Cubs scored seven runs in a three-game weekend series with Pittsburgh.

Leadoff man Arismendy Alcantara has two hits in his last 19 at-bats.

"We know he has the speed to be a top-of-the-order guy," manager Rick Renteria said. "We also know he has a history in the minor leagues of being able to get on base. There's nothing that says he can't do it here."

Chicago sends Jacob Turner to the mound after he scored his first win as a Cub last week with a 4-2 triumph over Milwaukee, in which he allowed a run in 6 1/3 innings.

"It's definitely a step in the right direction," Turner said. "I'm just happy I've been able to build on some of the stuff that me and (pitching coach Chris Bosio) have been working on. I made the pitches when I needed to when guys got on base, especially in the first inning. Getting through that catapulted me through the rest of the game."

He's never faced the Blue Jays, but is 3-3 with a 7.04 ERA in 10 lifetime starts against American League foes.

On Sunday in Chicago, starting pitcher Gerrit Cole hit one of Pittsburgh's four homers in a 10-4 victory over the Cubs.

Travis Wood (8-12) gave up seven runs on nine hits over just 1 2/3 innings for the Cubs.

In Boston, R.A. Dickey tossed seven-plus effective innings and Jose Bautista cranked a three-run homer, as Toronto took down the Red Sox, 3-1, in the finale of a three-game series.

Dickey (12-12) scattered six hits and one run while striking out four for the Blue Jays, who avoided a sweep.

The Jays and Cubs are meeting for the first time since 2008, when Chicago took two of three games north of the border.