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Kansas City Royals (16-3) at Toronto Blue Jays (8-15), 7:05 p.m.
Match-Up |
Line-Up
Probable Starting Pitchers: Kansas City - Darrell May (0-1, 4.50)
Toronto - Roy Halladay (0-2, 4.96)
(Sports Network) - The Kansas City Royals look to extend their winning streak
to six games on Friday when they open a three-game series with the Toronto
Blue Jays at SkyDome.
Most recently, Carlos Febles went 2-for-3 with a run scored and Mike Sweeney
homered to lead the Royals to a 2-1 victory over the Minnesota Twins at
Kauffman Stadium Thursday.
Chris George earned the victory for Kansas City, which took both games of the
abbreviated set. Wednesday's contest was rained out. George threw six innings
and allowed just one run on five hits while striking out three and walking two
batters.
The Royals became just the ninth team in Major League Baseball since 1901 to
begin a season 10-0 at home and the first since the 1987 New York Yankees. The
Royals also matched their all-time mark of 16-8 in the month of April. It is
the first time since 1989 that Kansas City has had a winning record in
baseball's opening month.
Mike MacDougal earned his MLB-leading ninth save of the season after allowing
one hit in a scoreless ninth.
Toronto begins a nine-game homestand on Friday despite the recent outbreak of
SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) in the city. The World Health
Organization has warned travelers to avoid Toronto because of the disease, but
commissioner Bud Selig has said that the league intends to keep playing
baseball in the city.
The Blue Jays avoided a sweep on Thursday by posting a 5-3 victory over the
Tampa Bay Devil Rays at Tropicana Field.
Tanyon Sturtze pitched six solid innings to propel Toronto, permitting six
hits and two runs -- one earned -- with one walk and three strikeouts to help
the Blue Jays.
Toronto posted just its second win in its last eight overall.
Shannon Stewart contributed three hits, Orlando Hudson drove in two and Kelvim
Escobar pitched the ninth inning for his third save of the season for Toronto,
which overcame an early two-run deficit.
Darrell May gets the call for the Royals on Friday. May is 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA
in two starts for Kansas City this season.
In his last trip to the mound, May failed to earn a decision versus Detroit a
week ago, allowing three runs -- two earned -- on seven hits in six frames. He
walked two and struck out four.
May has no record and a 10.80 ERA in three all-time appearances -- one start
-- against Toronto.
Roy Halladay counters for the Blue Jays. Toronto's ace has yet to post a win
in five starts in 2003 (0-2) and owns a lofty ERA of 4.96.
In his most recent outing, Halladay failed to earn a decision in the team's
6-5 setback to Boston on Sunday, allowing five runs on 11 hits in 6 1/3
innings of work, while striking out six and walking none.
Halladay is 3-1 all-time against the Royals with a 3.38 ERA in five starts.
Toronto is just 2-7 at home this season, while Kansas City is 6-3 on the road.
The Blue Jays won four of the seven meetings between the teams last season,
but captured just one of the three encounters in Toronto.
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