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MLB


Minnesota Twins (77-62) At Toronto Blue Jays (72-66), 7:07 P.m.

(Sports Network) - The Minnesota Twins will be playing the final test of a grueling 14-game road trip tonight. The last stop on the four-city tour hasn't been a pleasant experience for the American League Central contenders so far.

Minnesota will try to avert a three-game sweep at the hands of the Toronto Blue Jays when the two clubs complete their series tonight at the Rogers Centre.

The Blue Jays registered their eighth consecutive victory over the Twins with last night's extra-inning triumph. John McDonald singled in Scott Rolen with the go-ahead run in the bottom of the 11th frame to lift Toronto to a 5-4 win.

Eddie Guardado (3-4) allowed a leadoff double to Rolen and a single from Travis Snider before giving way to Boof Bonser, who served up McDonald's shot to the warning track in center that brought home Rolen.

Jesse Carlson (6-1) got the win by holding the Twins scoreless in the top of the 11th.

Joe Inglett hit a two-run homer to help the Blue Jays win their fourth game in a row. Toronto starter A.J. Burnett allowed three runs and struck out eight over the first 6 2/3 innings.

Joe Mauer had a pair of hits and three RBI for Minnesota, which has lost three of its last four games and fell to 5-8 thus far on its road trip. Starting pitcher Nick Blackburn threw 6 2/3 innings and gave up three runs -- two earned -- on six hits with six strikeouts.

The Twins fell out of a first-place tie with Chicago in the AL Central standings with Wednesday's loss. The White Sox defeated Cleveland yesterday afternoon to move a game in front.

Minnesota will attempt to rebound tonight behind Kevin Slowey, who will be putting a personal unbeaten streak on the line as well when he takes the mound. The young right-hander is 4-0 with an outstanding 2.03 earned run average over his last five starts and has surrendered two runs or less in each of those outings.

Slowey is coming off a strong start at Oakland on Friday in which he struck out 10 batters over six innings and yielded just two runs to earn his 11th victory of 2008.

The 24-year-old is 0-1 with a 5.91 ERA over two career starts against Toronto, however. That loss came at the Metrodome back on May 13, with Slowey being reached for three runs in 5 2/3 innings of work.

Jesse Litsch will take the ball for Toronto this evening and will be making his fourth start since returning from a 3 1/2-week stint in the minors. The second-year major leaguer has been sharp after coming back to the big club, having allowed just three runs in 19 2/3 innings over his three starts.

Litsch combined to throw 13 scoreless innings in games against Detroit and Boston before suffering a loss last Thursday in Tampa Bay. He permitted three runs on 10 hits in 6 2/3 frames during Toronto's 3-2 setback.

The 23-year-old is 2-0 with a 3.18 ERA in three career starts against Minnesota, which includes a victory over Slowey on May 13. In that game, Litsch held the Twins to two runs and four hits in 5 2/3 innings.

Toronto has taken all five meetings with Minnesota this season, including a three-game sweep at the Metrodome from May 13-15. The Twins have also lost six straight times at the Rogers Centre and are 1-7 in Toronto since the start of the 2006 campaign.

Toronto Blue Jays

News

Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays pitcher A.J. Burnett will opt out of the final two years of a five-year, $55 million deal he signed with the club before the 2006 season.

Scoreboard

Sun, Sep. 28 FINAL
Toronto (82-75) 10
Baltimore (68-85) 1

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