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When the Toronto Blue Jays are hot, they can rack up the runs like the best of them.

Toronto put up big numbers in last week's 10-run triumph over the defending World Series champion Boston Red Sox, and in this week's two eight-run performances versus the Oakland A's and the Texas Rangers.

Blue Jays starter Roy Halladay went 5-6 and sported a 4.28 ERA in 16 road starts last season.
(Nick Wass/Associated Press)

The Jays hope they can continue the momentum when the play the Rangers in the second of a three-game set in Arlington on Saturday (8:05 p.m. ET).

Toronto (5-5) will start ace Roy Halladay, who has a hot-and-cold history versus Texas.

The right-hander (1-1, 4.20 ERA) was tagged for nine runs and a career high-tying 12 hits in an 11-4 loss on May 5 there last year.

Despite a winning record in his career against the Rangers, Halladay is 3-3 with a lofty 7.00 ERA in 10 appearances in Arlington.

In 16 road starts last season, he went 5-6 and sported a 4.28 ERA.

Toronto has lost all but seven of its last 29 games at Rangers Ballpark since 2002.

If the Blue Jays win Saturday, it will be their first back-to-back victories in Arlington since 2001.

Manufacturing runs

With Friday's win, Toronto returned to .500 after dropping three straight decisions to the A's.

Jesse Litsch (2-0) gave up two runs on six hits in his second strong start of the season, defusing a bases-loaded bomb in the fourth by inducing Ben Broussard to ground out.

Vernon Wells went 2-for-5 with two RBIs to help the Blue Jays post a season-high 13 hits.

"The last three games, we haven't been as aggressive as we had been the first week," said Wells, who is hitting .341 (14-for-41) with three homers and 12 RBIs. "Once we got on base, we wanted to make things happen. We're not going to hit home runs all the time. Sometimes you have to manufacture runs."

The Jays relied on singles, walks, sacrifice flies and steals to get on the scoreboard.

The Rangers' Vincente Padilla (1-1) was clean through three innings before Toronto broke out with four runs in the fourth.

With Matt Stairs, Wells and David Eckstein loading the bases, Lyle Overbay hit a first-base line drive that put Toronto up 4-1.

At the top of the sixth, Buck Coats stole second and Gregg Zaun stole home, putting Toronto up 5-2.

Toronto's offence broke the game opoen in the seventh with three more runs.

Three more pitchers took Toronto into the ninth before left-hander Scott Downs came on to get two outs for his first save of the year.

Rangers played 'flat'

The Rangers hope to improve on Friday's performance with the help of rookie Luis Mendoza, who will make his debut after being on the disabled list with a blister on his pitching hand.

"We've got to play better and cleaner," said first baseman Broussard after Friday's game. "Today we played flat."

Mendoza went 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA in three starts and six overall appearances in 2007.

In other news, Toronto has optioned outfielder Coats back to the minors, bringing up infielder Joe Inglett from triple-A Syracuse.

Coats started Friday's game, going 1-for-3.

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