Houston @ Toronto preview

Last Meeting ( Mar 13, 2014 ) Houston 7, Toronto 5

The Toronto Blue Jays look to rebound from a loss in their first home series of the season when they continue their homestand against Houston on Tuesday in the first of three games. Toronto dropped the rubber game against the New York Yankees on Sunday 6-4 as Drew Hutchinson was hit hard early and the Blue Jays were unable to come back. It marked the seventh straight game to begin the year that Toronto has been held to four runs or fewer and the Jays entered Monday ranked last in the American League with a .618 OPS.

Houston is also coming off a series loss at home after dropping three of four to the Los Angeles Angels by a combined 29-10. Like Toronto, the Astros have fallen on hard times offensively, largely coinciding with the loss of center fielder Dexter Fowler, whose hot start was curbed by a case of gastroenteritis and is out indefinitely. The Blue Jays took three of four in the only home series against Houston in 2013.

TV: 7:07 p.m. ET, CSN Houston (Houston), SNET-1 (Toronto)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Astros LH Brett Oberholtzer (0-1, 4.76 ERA) vs. Blue Jays LH Mark Buehrle (1-0, 0.00)

Oberholtzer gave up three runs and five hits in 5 2/3 innings while getting stuck with the loss against the Yankees his first time out. The southpaw has a 2.41 ERA while walking only five batters in 33 2/3 innings on the road in his career. Oberholtzer, who has never faced Toronto, has a 1.80 ERA in four career starts against American League East opponents.

Buehrle fell an out shy of recording his seventh career shutout in a gem at Tampa Bay his first time out. The consistent veteran struck out just one but did not walk a batter and yielded only four hits in winning his eighth decision in the last 11 dating to last season. Buehrle recorded one of his six career shutouts against Houston at home last year and is 3-0 with a minuscule 0.72 ERA in his career versus the Astros.

WALK-OFFS

1. Blue Jays 3B Edwin Encarnacion, who is 5-for-28 with 10 strikeouts, needs one home run to tie Fred McGriff for 10th on the all-time Toronto list with 125.

2. Astros LF Jesus Guzman is 3-for-6 with two doubles and a walk versus Buehrle.

3. Blue Jays OF Melky Cabrera has hit safely in all seven games and homered in each of the three contests against the Yankees.

PREDICTION: Blue Jays 5, Astros 3