Toronto @ Cleveland preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 20, 2016 ) Toronto 6, Cleveland 5

With six homers in as many contests, Russell Martin has every reason to feel comfortable at the plate. The 33-year-old Ontario native looks to keep the good times rolling on Sunday afternoon as the American League East-leading Toronto Blue Jays and Central-best Cleveland Indians play the rubber match of their three-game series at Progressive Field.

Martin went deep in Saturday's 6-5 victory to improve to 12-for-24 with 11 RBIs and eight runs scored in his last six games heading into an encounter with Sunday starter Corey Kluber, against whom he is 2-for-7 with two homers and four RBIs. While Toronto has won five of seven and holds a one-half game advantage over second-place Boston in the East, Cleveland fell for just the third time in 10 outings. Jose Ramirez followed up his game-tying homer in the series opener with an RBI single on Saturday to improve to a blistering 30-for-77 in August, but is 0-for-4 versus Sunday starter Marcus Stroman.

TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, TVA Sports (Toronto), Sportsnet (Toronto), SportsTime Ohio (Cleveland)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Blue Jays RH Marcus Stroman (9-5, 4.63 ERA) vs. Indians RH Corey Kluber (13-8, 3.15)

Stroman improved to 3-1 with a 3.27 ERA in his last eight starts after allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits in 6 1/3 innings of a 9-2 triumph over Houston last Sunday. The 25-year-old has struggled with the long ball of late, surrendering eight homers in his last seven trips to the mound. Stroman has kept the ball in the park in a pair of career encounters (one start) versus Cleveland, allowing one run in 6 2/3 innings on July 1 before walking away with another no-decision.

Kluber won his fourth straight start and improved to 5-0 with a 1.65 ERA in his last seven turns on Tuesday, when he allowed one run in six innings of a 3-1 triumph over the Chicago White Sox. A solo homer accounted for the lone damage against the 30-year-old, who was taken deep twice in his previous outing. Kluber has struggled with Toronto, however, yielding five runs in 3 1/3 frames in a disastrous 17-1 setback to the Blue Jays on July 3 to fall to 1-3 with a 6.14 ERA in his career versus the club.

WALK-OFFS

1. Toronto 3B Josh Donaldson is expected to return to the lineup on Sunday after missing two games with a jammed thumb.

2. Cleveland RF Lonnie Chisenhall has homered and recorded three-RBI performances in two of his last three contests.

3. Blue Jays 1B Edwin Encarnacion has four homers, seven RBIs and scored seven times in his last eight games.

PREDICTION: Indians 6, Blue Jays 2