Toronto @ New York preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 28, 2013 ) Toronto 2, NY Yankees 3

Mark Buehrle and Hiroki Kuroda are rather familiar with one another - and so far, Kuroda has the upper hand. Buehrle will try to end his struggles against the New York Yankees as he leads the visiting Toronto Blue Jays into the opener of an AL East showdown on Friday. Kuroda's Yankees have won the first two head-to-head encounters with Buehrle's Blue Jays, but Toronto is riding a season-high four-game winning streak on the strength of a rejuvenated offensive attack.

The Blue Jays ranked among the majors' worst teams in batting average and runs scored coming into the week, but have reeled off three straight games with double-digit runs for the first time since 2003. That includes a thorough drubbing of the World Series-champion San Francisco Giants, who were outscored 21-9 in the two-game series at the Rogers Centre. New York comes into the weekend series with Toronto having dropped two straight.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, RSN (Toronto), WWOR (New York)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Blue Jays LH Mark Buehrle (1-2, 6.19 ERA) vs. Yankees RH Hiroki Kuroda (5-2, 2.31)

Buehrle would be the happiest guy in Yankee Stadium to see Toronto continue to swing the hot bats. The 34-year-old southpaw had his best outing of the season last time out - limiting Boston to a run on five hits over seven innings - but settled for a no-decision after the offense stalled and the bullpen blew a lead. Buehrle has had a miserable time against the Yankees, saddled with a 1-9 record and a 6.19 ERA in 14 career starts.

Kuroda posted a win and a no-decision in back-to-back starts against Toronto in late-April, and has kept on rolling since. The 38-year-old native of Osaka, Japan has surrendered just four runs over his last three starts, a span of 21 2/3 innings. He's coming off a victory over Kansas City in which he held the vaunted Royals offense to a pair of runs on six hits over 7 2/3 frames. Kuroda has surrendered just three home runs all season - two of them coming in his win over Toronto.

WALK-OFFS

1. Buehrle has surrendered eight runs over 12 1/3 innings against the Yankees in 2013.

2. Blue Jays RF Jose Bautista is hitting .362 in May after posting a dismal .200 mark in April.

3. Yankees LF Vernon Wells is 24-for-50 with three home runs and 10 RBIs in his career against Buehrle.

PREDICTION: Yankees 6, Blue Jays 3