Music: {allcanada} BLUE JAYS GO FOR DESERT SWEEP OF DIAMONDBACKS

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

{allcanada} BLUE JAYS GO FOR DESERT SWEEP OF DIAMONDBACKS

(Sports Network) - Veteran lefty Mark Buehrle can pitch Toronto to a series sweep and continue a personal win streak along the way on Wednesday afternoon when the Blue Jays play the Arizona Diamondbacks in the finale of a three-game set at Chase Field.

A 34-year-old Missouri native, Buehrle was 5-7 on the season after a 4-3 loss to Tampa Bay on July 20, but has since delivered six consecutive victories across eight starts - a stretch in which the Blue Jays have gone 7-1.

He tossed seven innings of scoreless four-hit ball in his most recent start on Aug. 30 against Kansas City, emerging with a 3-2 victory while lowering his earned run average for 2013 to 3.92.

It was 4.83 after the loss to the Rays in July.

Buehrle is 1-1 in two career starts against Arizona, having surrendered six earned runs on 14 hits in 12 innings, while walking one batter and striking out seven.

He's opposed by 23-year-old Arizona righty Randall Delgado, who's not won since a 7-6 defeat of the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on Aug. 2.

Since that game, he is 0-2 in five starts and has seen his ERA climb half a run from 3.17 to 3.67.

He took a tough-luck loss in his most recent start on Aug. 30 against San Francisco, allowing a single run on three hits in seven innings of a 1-0 defeat.

Delgado has never faced the Blue Jays.

On Tuesday, four Blue Jays home runs more than delivered another blow to Arizona's faint playoff hopes, as Toronto rocked the Diamondbacks, 10-4.

Rajai Davis and Moises Sierra belted two-run homers, while Edwin Encarnacion and a pinch-hitting Adam Lind added solo shots. Sierra also doubled twice to match Encarnacion and Jose Reyes with three hits for the Blue Jays, who have won seven of their last nine games.

Toronto starter Todd Redmond (3-2) allowed homers to Didi Gregorius and Adam Eaton among four hits over five innings. Miguel Montero also homered for the Diamondbacks, who are eight games behind Cincinnati for the second wild-card spot.

Arizona starter Wade Miley (9-10) failed to make it through two innings. He was tagged for five runs on eight hits and walked two while recording only five outs.

The Diamondbacks entered the week with a 5-4 lead in the all-time series between the teams, including two wins in three games when they last met in Arizona in 2010.