Cleveland @ Toronto preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 13, 2012 ) Cleveland 1, Toronto 0

Aaron Laffey broke into the big leagues with the Cleveland Indians. He'll make his first start against them Saturday afternoon as he leads the Toronto Blue Jays into the middle game of a weekend set against the visiting Indians. Laffey has been a pleasant surprise for Toronto since being thrust into a starting role last month. The journeyman lefty has a 2.50 ERA in three starts, but has just a loss and two no-decisions to show for it. Toronto looks to bounce back after dropping the opener 1-0.


Laffey could be in tough against an Indians club hanging on to second place in the American League Central, three games back of the first-place Chicago White Sox and a half-game up on the hard-charging Detroit Tigers. To continue to make headway, they'll need to improve upon a 4.50 first-half ERA that ranked second-last in the American League. The club got off to a great start in that regard, as three Cleveland pitchers limited the hard-hitting Jays to just five hits in the series opener.

TV: 1:07 p.m. ET, STO (Cleveland), RSN (Toronto)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Indians RH Ubaldo Jimenez (8-7, 4.50 ERA) vs. Blue Jays LH Aaron Laffey (0-1, 2.67)

Since getting shelled for seven runs in a one-sided loss to the White Sox on May 27, Jimenez has looked like a completely different pitcher. The 28-year-old Dominican hurler has registered five quality starts in his last seven outings, lowering his ERA from a season high of 5.79. Jimenez has made two career starts against the Blue Jays, going 1-0 with a 3.46 ERA.

Laffey is 3-for-3 in quality starts, though his last effort was far from his best. The 27-year-old was tagged for four runs - three earned - on eight hits over six innings in a 4-2 loss to Chicago. Despite the shaky outing, opposing batters are still hitting just .212 against him. Laffey has made one appearance against the team that selected him in the 16th round of the 2003 draft, tossing two scoreless frames last season while with Seattle.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Blue Jays are the only American League team with a losing record but a positive run differential (plus-26).

2. Toronto slugger Edwin Encarnacion has just one home run in 74 career at-bats against Cleveland.

3. Jimenez hasn't won back-to-back starts since posting victories May 16 and 22.