Toronto @ Boston preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 2, 2015 ) Boston 12, Toronto 6

The Toronto Blue Jays are bashing their way to the American League East title and are set to open a key 10-game road trip. The Blue Jays have a trip to the second-place New York Yankees on the horizon over the weekend but would be wise to not overlook the surging Boston Red Sox, who host Toronto in the opener of a three-game series on Monday.

The Red Sox are coming off a three-game sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies and are developing an offense that might be able to keep up with the Blue Jays behind youngsters Jackie Bradley Jr., Mookie Betts and Xander Bogaerts. Veteran David Ortiz is still in the center of that offense and slammed his 497th career home run on Sunday before being lifted with tightness in his right calf. The Blue Jays don’t have anyone approaching 500 home runs but have three players with at least 30 this season and are winners of 25 of their last 31 games. Toronto, which sits 1 1/2 games ahead of the Yankees in the East, will send veteran Mark Buehrle to the mound opposite Rick Porcello on Monday.

TV: 1:35 p.m. ET, SNET (Toronto), NESN (Boston)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Blue Jays LH Mark Buehrle (14-6, 3.53 ERA) vs. Red Sox RH Rick Porcello (6-12, 5.21)

Buehrle had his start pushed back a day in an effort to get him through a rough stretch and keep him healthy for a long run into the playoffs. The 36-year-old looked better in his last start, when he held Detroit to two runs (one earned) and five hits in six innings to earn the win. Buehrle had no trouble carving up the Boston lineup on July 1, allowing one run on four hits and striking out seven in as many innings to get the win.

Porcello has recently looked a lot like the pitcher the Red Sox thought they were getting when they signed him to an $82.5 million contract extension before the season. The New Jersey native struck out a career-high 13 and allowed one earned run in eight innings against the Yankees on Tuesday but ended up with the loss in a 3-1 final. Porcello was not so sharp opposite Buehrle on July 1, when he was hammered for seven runs on seven hits – three homers – in two innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. Red Sox 2B Dustin Pedroia (hamstring) could return to the lineup on Tuesday.

2. Blue Jays RF Jose Bautista is 4-for-7 with two homers, two doubles and five RBIs in the last two games.

3. Bradley Jr. is 11-for-22 with seven extra-base hits and seven RBIs during a seven-game hitting streak.

PREDICTION: Blue Jays 4, Red Sox 3