Toronto @ Boston preview

Toronto at Boston

Last Meeting ( May 12, 2013 ) Toronto 12, Boston 4

The Toronto Blue Jays are still in last place in the American League East, but they are one of the hottest teams in baseball and have a prime opportunity to make up ground when they begin a four-game road series against the first-place Boston Red Sox on Thursday. The Blue Jays have won 12 of their last 14 to move back over .500 and climb within 6 1/2 games of Boston. The Red Sox swept a quick two-game set from Colorado to get back on track after dropping four of five.

Toronto is closer to full strength with shortstop Jose Reyes back in at the top of a lineup filled with powerful bats - the Blue Jays lead the majors with 31 home runs in June and they've gone 16-6 this month. The Red Sox haven't lost a series at home since the last time Toronto visited, when the Blue Jays took two of three May 10-12; Boston is 12-5 at home since.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, Sportsnet (Toronto), New England Sports Network (Boston), MLB Network

PITCHING MATCHUP: Blue Jays RH Chien-Ming Wang (1-0, 2.18 ERA) vs. Red Sox LH Jon Lester (7-4, 4.57)

Wang's first start at the big-league level this season didn't go well, but he has been dominant in his two outings since. He has allowed just one unearned run over 13 1/3 innings in his last two starts, though he didn't get a decision last time out against Baltimore. In 15 games (14 starts) against Boston, Wang is 6-6 with a 4.98 ERA, but he hasn't faced the Red Sox since 2009.

Lester picked up a win at Detroit in his last start to snap a long drought, but he had another less-than-stellar outing. He allowed five runs over 5 2/3 innings and has given up five or more runs in three straight starts. Lester is 2-0 against the Blue Jays this year - he tossed seven scoreless innings to beat them April 7 in Toronto and threw a one-hitter against them May 10 in Boston - and is 13-7 with a 3.61 ERA in 25 all-time starts against Toronto.

WALK-OFFS

1. Red Sox DH David Ortiz is 16-for-37 with four doubles and two home runs against Wang.

2. Reyes went 0-for-4 in his return Wednesday after missing 66 games with a severely sprained ankle. He is 1-for-6 against Lester.

3. Boston CF Jacoby Ellsbury is 13-for-30 during a seven-game hitting streak and has seven multi-hit games in his past 10 contests.

PREDICTION: Red Sox 5, Blue Jays 4