• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Blue Jays-Orioles Preview

May 24, 2009 - 10:55 PM By MIKE LIPKA STATS Writer

Toronto (27-19) at Baltimore (18-25), 1:35 p.m. EDT

The Toronto Blue Jays' AL East lead has quickly dissolved. If they don't snap out of their offensive funk soon, their descent in the standings will likely accelerate.

The slumping Blue Jays enter the final leg of a nine-game road trip still looking for their first win, and they'll try to avoid a seventh straight defeat when they open a three-game set against the Baltimore Orioles on Monday.

Toronto led the majors in runs scored as recently as last week, but its surprisingly successful lineup has run into problems.

The Blue Jays have managed a total of 10 runs while losing the first six games of their trip, falling one-half game behind Boston in the East after Sunday's 10-2 defeat at Atlanta. One more loss would match their longest skid of 2008.

After stranding a combined 23 runners Wednesday and Thursday in the final two losses of a three-game sweep by the Red Sox, Toronto left 11 men on base Sunday as the Braves completed another sweep. The Jays (27-20) haven't homered in five straight games, matching their longest drought of the season.

"You're going to go through periods like this," outfielder Vernon Wells said. "Hopefully, we'll right the ship and get back at it tomorrow."

Brian Tallet (2-2, 4.47 ERA) has already been victimized by Toronto's struggling lineup, and now he'll have to try and help out a bullpen that gave up seven runs in the seventh inning of Sunday's loss.

The left-hander, a career reliever before injuries pushed him into the Blue Jays' rotation, is coming off four consecutive quality starts, holding opponents to a .152 average over that span. Toronto has only won one of those games, though, and Tallet took the loss Tuesday in Boston after allowing two runs in six innings of his team's 2-1 defeat.

The Blue Jays hope to offer him better support against Baltimore's Jeremy Guthrie (3-4, 5.37), who is 1-4 with a 6.26 ERA in his last seven outings. Guthrie gave up five runs - three on solo homers - in seven innings of an 11-4 loss at the New York Yankees on Wednesday.

"They came out and they made me pay for leaving pitches up," Guthrie told the Orioles' official Web site.

Guthrie's longest start of the year came against Toronto, an eight-inning, complete-game effort in the Orioles' 4-3 defeat at Rogers Centre on May 3. It was the third straight time the Blue Jays had beaten Guthrie, who is 1-3 in eight starts versus Toronto despite a 3.31 ERA.

The May 3 contest was part of a three-game sweep for the Blue Jays, who have won 14 of 17 against the Orioles dating back to last season. Toronto has also won five of its last six games at Camden Yards.

Baltimore enters the series with a beleaguered bullpen, as three relievers - including closer George Sherrill - were unavailable Sunday. Chris Ray and Jamie Walker combined to give up four runs on Adam Dunn's grand slam in an 8-5 loss to Washington.

The last-place Orioles (18-26) missed a chance at a three-game sweep of the Nationals and their AL-worst team ERA jumped to 5.57. They are 7-16 this season against AL East rivals.