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Blue Jays-Orioles Preview

May 27, 2009 - 4:01 AM By KATE HEDLIN STATS Writer

Toronto (27-21) at Baltimore (19-26), 1:35 p.m. EDT

Roy Halladay has had plenty of success against the Baltimore Orioles during his career, but there's an added sense of urgency when he next faces them.

Halladay will try to help the Toronto Blue Jays salvage one victory during this nine-game road trip as he looks to win his 10th consecutive decision and 20th overall against the Orioles in the finale of a three-game set on Wednesday.

The eight-game slide has dropped the Blue Jays (27-22) from first to third in the AL East. They have a good chance of getting back in the win column with Halladay (8-1, 2.52 ERA).

The 2003 AL Cy Young Award winner improved to 19-4 with a 2.88 ERA against the Orioles (20-26) on May 1 after allowing four runs - three earned - and 10 hits over eight innings of an 8-4 victory.

"I think everybody would like to have about 10 Docs around," Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston said after that start. "But that's impossible. We do have one, so we've got to enjoy him."

Overall, Halladay, who is tied with Kansas City's Zack Greinke for the major league lead in victories, has won his last five decisions. The Toronto right-hander failed to earn one, though, against Atlanta on Friday despite pitching seven scoreless innings.

He gave up five hits and struck out six, but the Jays fell 1-0.

Halladay has benefited from a lot of run support when he's pitched against the Orioles, but he might not have that advantage in this game. Toronto, which averaged 7.5 runs in his last 11 starts against Baltimore, has been held to 13 during this road trip after a 7-2 loss Tuesday.

The Blue Jays led 2-1 before Adam Jones and Nolan Reimold homered off Ricky Romero to take a 5-2 lead in the sixth. Brian Roberts then hit a two-run double in the ninth as the Orioles won for the fourth time in five games.

Toronto hasn't lost nine straight overall since May 1-10, 2007, and it hasn't dropped nine straight on the road since April 30-May 25, 1994.

"We're just in a rut right now," designated hitter Kevin Millar said. "You just got to go out there and keep having good thoughts and eventually it's going to turn around. It definitely hasn't been fun, but you got to dig deep."

Baltimore, meanwhile, will try for its first three-game winning streak of the season when it hands the ball to Rich Hill (1-0, 3.18), who had another decent start in his second outing since coming off the disabled list.

The left-hander allowed two runs and three hits over 5 2-3 innings of a 4-2, 12-inning victory over Washington on Friday.

Acquired in the offseason from the Chicago Cubs, Hill is making his first start at Camden Yards. He has never faced Toronto.

The Orioles have opened a three-game series with back-to-back wins four times this season, but lost the finale. They are 2-13 in series finales overall in 2009.