Toronto @ Cleveland preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 11, 2013 ) Toronto 2, Cleveland 4

The Cleveland Indians look to recapture the form that carried them into the 2013 playoffs when they begin a seven-game homestand against the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday. The Indians lost five of their last seven to drop into last place in the American League Central after a 7-5 defeat at Detroit on Thursday. Cleveland is scoring plenty of runs (4.6 per game), but has struggled on the mound with a 4.35 ERA (25th) and is tied for the third-most errors in the majors with 15.

The Blue Jays were swept in a doubleheader at Minnesota on Thursday, getting shut out in the first game and surrendering eight walks and three wild pitches in the eighth inning of the second. Toronto could soon get a boost from the return of shortstop Jose Reyes, who has not played since the season opener due to a hamstring injury. Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista leads the league with six homers and has 10 in 37 games against the Indians.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET; SNET (Toronto), STO (Cleveland)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Blue Jays RH Drew Hutchison (1-1, 3.68 ERA) vs. Indians RH Justin Masterson (0-0, 5.87)

Hutchison has put together two outstanding starts in which he did not allow a run in 11 1/3 innings combined, sandwiching a rough one against the New York Yankees. The 23-year-old, who missed all of the 2013 season after Tommy John surgery, has struck out 15 in 14 2/3 innings overall. Hutchison faces the Indians for the first time in his career, but Elliot Johnson is 2-for-2 against him.

Masterson followed up a solid season debut against Oakland with two disappointing outings when he yielded 10 runs in 8 1/3 frames while giving up 14 hits. The sinkerball specialist is coming off his best season, going 14-10 in 32 appearances. Melky Cabrera is 12-for-24 with a homer and Bautista is 6-for-17 with two blasts against Masterson, who is 4-1 in 14 games (six starts) with a 2.79 ERA versus the Jays.

WALK-OFFS

1. Cleveland 3B Lonnie Chisenhall has hit safely in all seven games he has played this season with 12 hits in 23 at-bats.

2. Toronto 1B Edwin Encarnacion has yet to homer in 2014 after belting 78 combined the previous two years, but is 7-for-15 with four RBIs his last four games.

3. The Indians are 55-31 in one-run games since the beginning of the 2012 season – best in the majors during that span.

PREDICTION: Indians 5, Blue Jays 2