Seattle (31-51) has scored the fewest runs in the AL with 331, and Toronto (41-43) is not too far ahead with 346 runs.

In Monday's series opener, the Blue Jays got all the offense they needed on a fifth-inning run-scoring single from Marco Scutaro as Toronto won 2-0 behind a dominating performance from Roy Halladay, who allowed four hits in his fifth complete game of the season and 10th career shutout.

Offense is not a strength of either Toronto or Seattle, and this is quite evident when they square off. The Mariners and Blue Jays have split their first four meetings this season, combining to score just 14 runs.

Toronto has scored just three runs in its last two games, but has still won three in a row, and six of eight after dropping a season-high seven straight. The Blue Jays have not won four consecutive games since winning five in a row May 22-26.

Jesse Litsch (8-4, 3.82 ERA) has been a streaky pitcher lately, and Toronto hopes his latest outing triggers another run of victories.

Litsch allowed one run, three hits and struck out six in eight innings of a 7-1 win over Cincinnati on Thursday, his first victory since May 29.

"It's been a battle up until now," Litsch told the team's official Web site. "Me and (pitching coach Brad Arnsberg) worked heavily during my last bullpen session. (We) just worked on getting over top of the ball and making everything down in the zone."

Before defeating the Reds, Litsch had gone 0-3 with a 6.46 ERA in his previous four starts. In six starts before that, however, the right-hander was 5-0 with a 1.67 ERA.

Litsch also pitched decently in his start against the Mariners on June 9, allowing two runs and 10 hits in six innings of a 3-2, 10-inning loss. He is 0-1 with a 5.23 ERA in two career starts versus Seattle.

The Marines saw a three-game winning streak come to an end Monday.

Seattle has yielded two runs in each of its last four games, and hopes Ryan Rowland-Smith (2-1, 2.66) can provide another solid pitching performance as he makes his first career start.

Rowland-Smith takes the place in the rotation of Felix Hernandez, who sprained his left ankle on June 23 against the New York Mets and was placed on the 15-day disabled list Monday.

Rowland-Smith has made 32 relief appearances this season, and Seattle manager Jim Riggleman hopes he can go at least three or four innings and take some of the burden off his bullpen mates. The left-hander started one game at Double-A San Antonio in the 2006 season, but has since pitched exclusively in relief.

"If he's feeling strong, there might be an upper limit of four or five (innings)," Riggleman said. "If he's throwing a lot of pitches and Toronto is on him pretty good, it might be one or two (innings)."

This will be Rowland-Smith's first outing against the Blue Jays this season. In two relief appearances last season, he yielded two runs and five hits in 4 1-3 innings.