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TOR@NYY: Happ fans Cano to stifle Yanks in fourth

After splitting a four-game series against one American League East contender this weekend, the Blue Jays won't get any rest before meeting up with another.

Toronto, which was on the wrong end of a 9-4 game on Sunday against the Rays but still managed a series stalemate against its division rivals, welcomes the Orioles to town on Monday for the start of a three-game set at Rogers Centre.

With the Rays winning and the Orioles beating the first-place Yankees on Sunday, Baltimore sits just two games behind New York, while Tampa Bay sits 3 1/2 out of first place in the division. Baltimore also holds one of the two AL Wild Card spots.

After an unimpressive Orioles debut, when he gave up four first-inning runs in Wednesday's loss to the White Sox, lefty Joe Saunders will get the ball again for the Labor Day matinee.

The veteran was acquired from the D-backs, and will be making his first road start with his new club.

"He'll be better," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said of Saunders, who has a 12.00 ERA in his last three starts. "[I] thought second, third and fourth [innings], you can see what he's capable of.

"I'll certainly give him that respect of a guy who's had success."

Saunders will be up against fellow southpaw J.A. Happ, who surrendered a season-high five walks against the Yankees in his last start.

"I wanted to try to get ahead," Happ said of working against the patient New York lineup. "But you have to be careful with those guys, because they can be aggressive, too."

Happ, who was also acquired via trade this season from Houston, is 3-1 with a 4.58 ERA in nine games (five starts) with Toronto.

Orioles: Beautiful day for baseball
• The Orioles are 25-13 in day games this season -- 11-7 at home and 14-6 on the road. That winning percentage (.658) is best in the AL and second in the Majors behind the Reds.

• Baltimore has won 25 series this season after winning just 16 in 2011. The last time the Orioles won 25 or more series in one season was 1997, when they won 31. That was also the club's last winning season.

Blue Jays: Encarnacion's power surge
• One recent bright spot for the Blue Jays has been the home-run power of Edwin Encarnacion, who has a team-leading 37 long balls this year. He has gone yard four times in his last eight games, and hit six in his last 12 contests, dating back to Aug. 21.

He had 16 home runs at this point last year.

• The Jays are 33-32 at Rogers Centre this year, having lost seven of their last 10, and 10 of their last 15 ballgames at home.

Worth noting
• With a victory on Sunday against the Yankees, the Orioles have tallied 74 wins, which is their most since 2005. They already have 37 road wins this year, which is seven more than their total in 2011.

• The Blue Jays are 10-21 in one-run games (5-6 at home). Five of their last seven -- and 11 of their last 15 -- games have been decided by two runs or fewer.

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