Toronto @ Boston preview

Last Meeting ( May 30, 2018 ) Toronto 4, Boston 6

Boston Red Sox left-hander David Price will try to rebound from back-to-back rocky outings when he takes on the visiting Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday in the opener of a four-game series. Price was rocked for eight runs over 3 1/3 innings at Yankee Stadium two turns ago and failed to find a soft landing spot in Kansas City on Saturday in an erratic outing that saw him hit three batters in one inning and fail to complete five.

"To give up that lead the way I gave it up today, to not be able to get through five innings, that's tough," Price told reporters. "My teammates really picked me up tonight, that's huge. I'm struggling right now, searching." Price's team is having no such issues and matched its longest winning streak of the season at nine straight with a 4-2 victory over the Texas Rangers on Wednesday. J.D. Martinez drove in two more runs to bump his major league-leading total to 79 as Boston moved 36 games over .500 (65-29) for the first time since Oct. 1, 1978. The Blue Jays fell to 3-6 in July with a 9-5 loss at Atlanta on Wednesday and they are 2-7 against the Red Sox in 2018.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, Sportsnet, TVA (Toronto), NESN (Boston)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Blue Jays LH J.A. Happ (10-5, 4.44 ERA) vs. Red Sox LH David Price (9-6, 4.44)

Happ earned his first career All-Star nod but is limping toward the break after giving up 13 runs across 8 1/3 innings over his last two starts. He walked a season-high six and served up two home runs in an ugly 2 2/3-inning outing against the New York Yankees on Saturday. The 35-year-old struck out 10 Red Sox hitters in seven dominant innings in an April 24 encounter to improve to 7-3 with a 3.09 ERA in 18 career meetings (17 starts).

Price allowed a career-high five home runs in the loss to the Yankees and has given up nine over his last four outings. He was unable to finish six innings in two earlier matchups with the Blue Jays this year but is 19-3 with a 2.46 ERA in his career against Toronto. Devon Travis (5-for-14, one home run) is one of the few Blue Jays hitters to have some success against Price, who is 4-2 with a 3.63 ERA at home in 2018.

WALK-OFFS

1. Red Sox RF Mookie Betts is hitting .421 and has 11 runs scored during a nine-game hitting streak.

2. Blue Jays 1B Justin Smoak is 8-for-18 with three home runs, five RBIs and five runs scored during a five-game hitting streak.

3. Boston optioned LHP Jalen Beeks to Triple-A Pawtucket and recalled LHP Robby Scott.

PREDICTION: Red Sox 5, Blue Jays 4