The red-hot Los Angeles Dodgers look to remain undefeated out of the All-Star break with a three-game sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday night.
The Dodgers have won all five of their games since the Midsummer Classic and have gone 22-5 since June 22 to jump into first place in the NL West, a half- game ahead of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Los Angeles found a way to rally late for only the second time this season, coming back from five runs down after the sixth inning to win 10-9 on Tuesday. The Dodgers scored three times in the seventh and saw Adrian Gonzalez highlight a four-run eighth frame with a three-run homer.
Andre Ethier hit a solo homer in the eighth inning and drove in three runs, while Mark Ellis also had three RBI.
"You know in this ballpark it's a little bit like Colorado because no lead is safe," said Los Angeles manager Don Mattingly. "You have to keep playing and you have to keep going here."
The Dodgers have won nine straight games on the road and improved to 2-35 when trailing after seven inning this season.
On the other hand, the Blue Jays lost for the first time in 35 games this year when leading after seven frames and are just 7-18 since winning 11 in a row from June 11-23. Toronto has lost a season-high six straight overall.
The Blue Jays held a players-only meeting ahead of Tuesday's game, but couldn't break through. J.P. Arencibia did have a run-scoring single with two outs in the ninth inning, but Brett Lawrie flied out to end the game.
Jose Reyes, Mark DeRosa and Jose Bautista each homered for the Blue Jays, who twice lost seven games in a row last season.
"We did a lot of good things and when you put up that many runs you figured you stand a good chance to win," said Toronto manager John Gibbons. "But if you look at that lineup over there they can burn you in so many ways and that's what they did tonight."
Ricky Nolasco makes his fourth start for the Dodgers since being acquired in a trade with the Miami Marlins and has failed to pitch past the sixth inning in two outings since winning his debut with Los Angeles on July 9.
Nolasco lost to Colorado in his second start following the trade, but was able to keep his team in Friday's game with Washington before ultimately not factoring into a 3-2 win. He yielded both runs on eight hits and two walks over 5 1/3 frames and escaped a bases-loaded, nobody-out jam in the fourth inning without allowing a run.
The right-hander is 6-9 with a 3.75 earned run average in 21 starts this season.
Nolasco, 30, has faced the Blue Jays once before in his career, on June 12, 2009 with the Marlins. He hurled six innings of two-run ball, striking out nine in a no-decision.
Taking the mound for the Blue Jays is Esmil Rogers, who made a number of mistakes last time out en route to giving up four homers against the Tampa Bay Rays. It could have been worse for the right-hander, but all four were solo shots and he did not get a decision in Toronto's 8-5 setback in which he lasted 5 2/3 innings.
Rogers, winless since June 18, is 3-4 with a 3.84 ERA in 32 appearances this season, including nine starts.
The 27-year-old former Colorado Rockie is 0-1 with a 5.52 ERA in 13 career meetings with the Dodgers, including three starts.
The Dodgers and Blue Jays are meeting for the first time since splitting six encounters during the 2007 campaign. Each team took two of three on the road that year.
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