(SportsNetwork.com) - Marcus Stroman tries to win his fourth consecutive decision on Wednesday when the Toronto Blue Jays close out a three-game series with the Minnesota Twins at Rogers Centre.
Stroman, the Jays' first round pick in 2012, is also trying to become Toronto's first rookie to win his first three starts since Mauro Gozzo in 1989. He was terrific on Friday versus St. Louis, as he gave up a run and seven hits in six innings to run his record to 4-0, while, lowering his ERA to 5.40.
He's won both of his starts and has surrendered just two runs in 12 outings of those contests.
"It's been special," said Stroman. "It's just awesome to put my team in a position to win the two times I have been out there."
Minnesota will have an equally impressive right-hander on the hill in Phil Hughes, who lost for the first time in nine starts his last time out. Hughes was defeated by Houston on Friday, as he yielded five runs and six hits in six innings, dropping him to 6-2 on the year to go along with a 3.46 ERA.
"I just wasn't making adjustments the way I have before," Hughes . "I didn't recognize it early enough to make some better pitches with the two-seamer or the cutter. I tried to generate some extra velocity and came out of my mechanics a little bit and just left some balls over the plate."
Hughes may continue to struggle on Wednesday, as he is a mere 1-4 with a 7.39 ERA in his last seven starts north of the border.
Toronto's high-powered offense was blanked for the third time in four games on Tuesday, as Kevin Correia spun six-plus strong innings in Minnesota's 4-0 win.
Correia (3-7) gave up six hits and a walk with one strikeout, while Brian Duensing, Jared Burton and Glen Perkins each tossed a scoreless frame to polish off the shutout for the Twins, who won for only the second time in six tries.
"I think once he got going he got his confidence," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said of Correia. "Great performance by him."
Brian Dozier hit a two-run home run while Danny Santana had two hits, drove in one and scored once in the win.
J.A. Happ (5-3) was tagged for four runs -- three earned -- on six hits in just 3 2/3 innings for the Blue Jays, who have lost three of their last four.
"I felt like I was locating for the most part. It doesn't really matter ... all that matters is the results," Happ said.
The Blue Jays, who had been shut out only once before this stretch, is hitting just .186 over its last four games.
"You never see that coming," manager John Gibbons said. "Naturally, as hot as we were, you figure you're going to cool off a little bit."
Minnesota won two of three when these teams squared off in April.
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