Rangers-Blue Jays Preview - MLB

Texas (60-47) at Toronto (54-52)
Despite leading the AL West, the Texas Rangers have not played all that well of late. Another injury to Nelson Cruz(notes) could hinder their chances for improvement.

The visiting Rangers could be without their star right fielder Saturday when they try to even their series with the Toronto Blue Jays, who look for a fourth consecutive win.
Texas (60-47) has a two-game division lead, but has lost six times in 10 games since winning 12 straight. Making matters worse, Cruz left Friday’s 3-2 defeat at Toronto due to tightness in his left quadriceps.
Cruz, who hit his 23rd homer before departing, is day to day but manager Ron Washington might give him the rest of the weekend off to avoid aggravating the injury. Cruz, 10 for 26 with three homers and 12 RBIs in eight games versus Toronto in 2011, missed most of May with a strained right quad.
“I wasn’t taking any chances, especially on this turf,” Washington said. “He passed all the tests, his strength is good.”
Michael Young(notes) had three hits and Mike Napoli(notes) hit his 14th homer Friday but the Rangers were 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position. Since Monday’s 20-6 rout of Minnesota, Texas has totaled 16 runs while losing three of four.
“It’s tough to sit there and try and go double, double, homer, double,” Young said. “Those things just happen naturally. For us, we have to bear down on the fundamental parts of the game.”
Leadoff man Ian Kinsler(notes) continues to scuffle, mired in an 0-for-18 slump with six strikeouts over the last four games.
The Rangers hope to provide more support for Derek Holland(notes) (9-4, 4.43 ERA), who is 3-0 with a 2.15 ERA in four starts since losing to Florida on July 2. After he allowed seven runs in 5 1-3 innings of Texas’ 9-8 loss to the Los Angeles Angels on July 20, Holland held the Twins to an unearned run over six innings Monday.
The left-hander allowed five runs and 11 hits over five-plus innings and did not factor in the decision in a 7-6 win over the Blue Jays on April 27. In his last trip to Toronto, though, he gave up three hits and struck out eight in five scoreless innings during an 8-1 win Sept. 8.
Toronto catcher J.P. Arencibia(notes) has hit four of his 17 home runs this season against the Rangers. He provided all the Blue Jays’ scoring Friday with a three-run shot, his fifth homer to go with nine RBIs over his last six games.
The Blue Jays (54-52) have won 12 of 17, including six of seven at Rogers Centre.
Brad Mills(notes) will be called up from Triple-A Las Vegas to make his 2011 debut for the Blue Jays on Saturday. Mills, 9-7 with a 3.99 ERA in 20 starts at Triple-A, enters the rotation after Jo-Jo Reyes(notes) was designated for assignment last week.
“The fact that Brad has thrown the ball exceptionally well in Las Vegas, I think he’s earned the spot,” manager John Farrell told the Blue Jays’ official website. “He’s got the opportunity to take this start and run with it.”
The left-hander is 1-1 with an 8.22 ERA in five major league starts in 2009 and 2010 with Toronto, but has never faced Texas.