Toronto @ Boston preview

Last Meeting ( May 21, 2014 ) Toronto 6, Boston 4

The Boston Red Sox are enduring a losing streak unlike anything they have experienced in the John Farrell era. The Red Sox will try to halt the slide at six games and avoid a second straight series sweep at home when they host the Toronto Blue Jays in the finale of their three-game set on Thursday. The first thing Boston needs to do to top the Blue Jays is come up with a different plan against Edwin Encarnacion, who has homered twice in each of the first two games of the series.

Encarnacion has 11 home runs this month after totaling two in April, with seven coming in the last six contests. The slugger drove in four runs in a 7-4 victory in the series opener and added three RBIs in Wednesday’s 6-4 triumph, pushing his season total to 38. Boston's David Ortiz turned the same trick with back-to-back two-homer games in Minnesota last week but joined in his team’s collective slump by going 3-for-22 during the losing streak. The Red Sox are averaging 2.3 runs in the last six games.

TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, RSN (Toronto), NESN (Boston)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Blue Jays LH Mark Buehrle (7-1, 2.11 ERA) vs. Red Sox LH Jon Lester (4-5, 2.67)

Buehrle is attempting to become the major’s first eight-game winner while avenging his lone loss of the campaign. The veteran control artist was lit up for seven runs - six earned - on 12 hits and three walks in a loss to Boston on Apr. 25, marking the only time this season he has allowed more than two earned runs. Buehrle is coming off a win at Texas in which he surrendered two runs on seven hits in 6 2/3 frames.

Lester came out on the wrong end of a 1-0 shutout against Detroit on Friday, allowing four hits and striking out seven in five innings. The 30-year-old struck out at least seven batters in each of his last six turns. Lester yielded three or fewer earned runs in all but one of his nine starts - a loss at Toronto on Apr. 27 in which he was charged with four runs on five hits in seven frames.

WALK-OFFS

1. Red Sox SS Stephen Drew is expected to be optioned to Pawtucket once he clears waivers on Friday but still is available until then.

2. Encarnacion is 8-for-39 with two home runs, five doubles and six RBIs in his career against Lester.

3. Boston 1B Mike Napoli (flu-like symptoms) sat out Wednesday and is day-to-day.

PREDICTION: Red Sox 5, Blue Jays 4