(SportsNetwork.com) – Mark Buehrle will try to pitch himself back into the win
column when the Toronto Blue Jays resume a four-game series Friday against the
Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field.
Buehrle won his first three starts and was aiming for his fourth straight
victory until running into the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday. He lasted 5 2/3
innings in the 5-1 loss and permitted five runs and 13 hits. Buehrle walked
one batter and has issued only one free pass in each of the last three trips
to the mound.
The veteran left-hander will try to even his career mark against the Indians
and is 16-17 with a 4.75 ERA in 49 games (48 starts).
Toronto improved to 2-5 on a 10-game road trip with Thursday’s 5-1 victory
over the Tribe, as Kevin Pillar’s two-run double highlighted a five-run fourth
inning. Edwin Encarnacion had two hits and scored a run for the Blue Jays,
while Danny Valencia, Russell Martin and Jonathan Diaz had an RBI apiece.
“Top to bottom we’re a tough lineup,” Martin said
Daniel Norris pitched three shutout innings in the start and Jeff Francis
collected the win with 2 1/3 innings of relief.
The Indians lost for the fifth time in six tries last night and Michael
Brantley registered three hits and an RBI. Ryan Raburn ended with three hits
and starting pitcher T.J. House fell to 0-4 in three innings of work, charged
with five runs with three walks and no strikeouts.
“They made an adjustment,” House said. “And I definitely didn’t make one fast
enough to keep them off-balance a little bit.”
Carlos Carrasco draws the start for the Indians and is 2-2 with a 4.60 earned
run average in four starts. Carrasco wasn’t sharp in Sunday’s 8-6 loss at
Detroit and was reached for five runs in nine hits in 4 1/3 innings.
The right-hander is 0-1 with a 10.24 ERA in three games (2 starts) lifetime
against the Blue Jays.
The Indians went 2-4 against the Blue Jays last season.
