The Toronto Blue Jays have the misfortune of sharing a division with three of baseball's best teams, but they've also taken full advantage of frequent matchups with the worst club in the majors.
The Blue Jays look to complete a fourth three-game sweep in as many series against the Baltimore Orioles as the AL East foes meet Wednesday night at Rogers Centre.
While continuing to occupy fourth place behind New York, Tampa Bay and Boston, Toronto (52-49) has managed to emphatically display its superiority over the Orioles.
The Blue Jays have outscored Baltimore 65-23 and outhomered the Orioles 23-4 while winning all 11 meetings this season, including an 8-2 victory Tuesday. Jose Bautista went 4 for 4 with two home runs to give him 30 and the Blue Jays 154 - both MLB-leading totals.
Bautista has nearly doubled his previous career high of 16 homers.
"I figured I was going to be able to at least the hit same amount (of homers) that I usually do, like 10 or 15," Bautista said. "This is way over my expectations but I'm going to keep going out there and hoping for some more."
The surprising slugger has three homers in this series and six - along with 15 RBIs - against the Orioles this season.
"He's just in one of those zones right now," Orioles manager Juan Samuel said. "We've just got to continue to make pitches on him and if we miss, he's taking advantage of them."
Baltimore's beleaguered staff has had problems with almost any opponent lately. Orioles starters have posted an 8.50 ERA as the team has dropped 10 of 12 since the All-Star break.
The cold streak has put the Orioles (31-69) in danger of recording their 70th loss faster than any Baltimore club since 1955. That year, the franchise began 30-70 en route to a 57-97 finish.
"We're trying everything possible and the outcome is the same," Samuel said. "We just have to right this. Hopefully tomorrow things will start turning around."
Jeremy Guthrie (4-10, 4.46 ERA) draws the challenge of facing Toronto's powerful lineup. The right-hander has a 3.56 ERA in his career against the Blue Jays, but he's 2-5 in 13 starts, including losses in his last three outings in Canada.
The Orioles have dropped 10 straight and 19 of 21 at Rogers Centre.
Guthrie went 0-6 in a nine-start stretch between May 25 and Friday, when he beat Minnesota with seven solid innings in a 3-2 victory. He still hasn't won on the road since May 8 - also against the Twins.
"I am 1-0 in the second half," Guthrie, who didn't get a decision in a 3-2 loss to Toronto on July 17, told the Orioles' official website. "I'm trying to throw the ball best I can and make the adjustments that I was able to think about over the All-Star break."
The Blue Jays plan to give Brad Mills his third major league start and first of 2010.
The left-hander had a rocky introduction to the majors last year, making two starts against Philadelphia and going 0-1 with a 14.09 ERA while allowing four homers in 7 2-3 innings. This season, Mills has gone 7-4 with a 4.13 ERA in 16 starts for Triple-A Las Vegas.
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