Interleague play may be perfect timing for Blue Jays

This week's six-game homestand against offensive powerhouses Colorado and Baltimore should be a good test for the improving Blue Jays pitching staff.

It might also be coming at the ideal time for hitters such as Adam Lind, Jose Bautista, Melky Cabrera and Colby Rasmus.

The Rockies come to town first, opening a three-game series on Monday at 7:07 pm ET at the Rogers Centre.

They arrive without starting shortstop Troy Tulowitzki (broken rib) but lead the National League in hitting with a .276 batting average, are tied with St. Louis for second in on-base percentage (.336) and share top spot in the major leagues with Baltimore in slugging percentage (.453).

Baltimore, which provides the competition for a three-game set starting Friday following an off day, entered play Monday second in the American League with a .273 average and .325 OBP.

Sure, Toronto has received stellar starting pitching of late from the likes of Mark Buehrle, Esmil Rogers, R.A. Dickey and newcomer Chien-Ming Wang, but the Jays remain 28th of 30 teams in the majors with a 4.99 earned-run average.

Blue Jays manager John Gibbons will be hoping Rasmus can maintain his power stroke for the homestand. Three of the centre-fielder's four hits on the team's just-completed six-game road trip were home runs over the past three days to give him eight long balls in 34 games this season.

Rasmus is hitting .282 with five homers in 31 home starts in 2013. His average is even better in interleague play (.313 entering Monday) over the past two seasons and he boasts a .363 OBP against NL teams in that span.

Bautista hasn't homered in four games but leads all Toronto hitters with 23 in interleague action since it began in 1997. He also has 50 runs batted in during those 73 contests while hitting .249 with a .357 OBP.

Fellow slugger Edwin Encarnacion also hasn't gone deep in four starts but has clubbed 18 homers in 54 interleague matchups along with 38 RBIs to go with a .278 average.

Lind is only four plate appearances shy of qualifying for the AL batting title. Fresh off an 11-for-27 (.407) road trip, his .350 average would rank second to Detroit's Miguel Cabrera (.352).

He tops all current Jays hitters with 84 interleague games and, while faring decently in the power department (12 homers, 35 RBIs), his .241 average ranks among the lowest on the club.

Next to the injured Brett Lawrie, Cabrera is Toronto's top hitter for average in interleague play this season among the regulars at .326. But he has yet to homer in 11 games versus NL competition, covering 46 at-bats.

The Blue Jays have a 6-5 record in interleague play this season and are 138-156 overall.

They will face starting pitchers Jorge De La Rosa, Vancouver's Jeff Francis and Juan Nicasio in the Colorado series. The top two Toronto hitters career-wise against each of these hurlers is listed below:

Versus De La Rosa:

• Emilio Bonafacio: 3-for-10 with a double
• Melky Cabrera: 3-for-8 with two doubles

Versus Francis:

• Cabrera: 2-for-4 (double, home run)
• Colby Rasmus: 2-for-8 with a double

Versus Nicasio:

• Jose Reyes (injured): 1-for-2
• Rasmus: 0-for-2 with a walk

Blue Jays' interleague record

• Season	Record
  1997	4-11
  1998	9-7
  1999	9-9
  2000	9-9
  2001	8-10
  2002	9-9
  2003	10-8
  2004	8-10
  2005	8-10
  2006	9-9
  2007	10-8
  2008	8-10
  2009	7-11
  2010	7-11
  2011	8-10
  2012	9-9
  2013	6-5
  ALL-TIME	138-156

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