Oakland @ Toronto preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 10, 2013 ) Oakland 4, Toronto 5

Josh Reddick looks to stay red-hot Sunday afternoon when he leads the Oakland Athletics into the third of four games at Toronto. Reddick, who has had a disappointing season following his breakout 2012 campaign, has homered five times in the first two games of the series, matching his season total from before the set began. His two blasts Saturday were not enough as the A's fell 5-4.

With the loss, its seventh in nine games, Oakland fell a full game behind Texas in the race for the American League West title. Toronto has had a hand in the A's slide, winning three of five matchups between the teams over the past two weeks. After Sunday's matinee the two teams close out their season series with an afternoon game on Monday.

TV: 1:07 p.m. ET, CSN California (Oakland), RSN (Toronto)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Athletics RH A.J. Griffin (10-8, 3.91 ERA) vs. Blue Jays RH R.A. Dickey (9-11, 4.49)

Griffin is 2-0 with a 2.45 ERA in three career starts against Toronto and got the win against the Jays on July 29 at home, giving up four runs and four hits in seven innings. Three of those four hits were home runs, part of a four-start stretch in which Griffin has surrendered 10 homers. The 25-year-old entered the weekend leading the major leagues with 28 home runs allowed.

Dickey sits right behind Griffin with 25 home runs allowed but has given up just two in his last three starts and kept the A's in the park in a solid start at Oakland on July 31. He gave up two unearned runs in six frames in that game, one of three straight starts he has made that has resulted in a Toronto victory. The knuckleballer allowed one run in 7 2/3 innings to defeat Seattle on Monday.

WALK-OFFS

1. Even with the solid effort at the Athletics last month, Dickey is 1-4 with a 5.05 ERA in his career against Oakland.

2. Blue Jays SS Jose Reyes has hit three of his nine home runs in the last eight games.

3. A's manager Bob Melvin is two wins shy of 700 for his career.

PREDICTION: Athletics 5, Blue Jays 4