Toronto @ Detroit preview

Last Meeting ( Mar 22, 2014 ) Detroit 4, Toronto 9

A pair of first-place teams in the American League square off when the Toronto Blue Jays visit the Detroit Tigers for a three-game series beginning Tuesday. Toronto has won 11 of its last 13 contests and 16 of 20 as it continues to be the surprise of the major leagues while vaulting to the top of the competitive AL East. Detroit remains in control of the Central despite losing 10 of its last 14 games, including two of three in Seattle over the weekend to conclude a 3-4 road trip.

The Blue Jays' Edwin Encarnacion set a franchise mark while joining Mickey Mantle by hitting an American League-record 16 home runs in May, and started June with a two-run blast in Sunday's 4-0 victory over Kansas City. The Tigers counter with two-time defending AL MVP Miguel Cabrera, who hit .380 in May. Toronto's Drew Hutchison won three straight starts despite struggling in his last and opposes Detroit's Anibal Sanchez, who is sharp since returning from the disabled list.

TV: 7:08 p.m. ET, SNET, TVA Sports (Toronto), FSN Detroit

PITCHING MATCHUP: Blue Jays RH Drew Hutchison (4-3, 3.88 ERA) vs. Tigers RH Anibal Sanchez (2-2, 2.49)

Sanchez was two outs away from his third straight victory before Josh Donaldson's three-run homer against Joe Nathan gave Oakland a 3-1 walk-off victory on Wednesday. The 30-year-old Venezuelan yielded four runs in 20 1/3 innings over three starts - with victories over Texas and at Boston - since recovering from a blister on his right middle finger. Sanchez is 2-2 with a 5.48 ERA in four starts against Toronto, while Melky Cabrera is an eye-popping 10-for-18 against him.

Hutchison was scheduled to start Sunday against Kansas City, but the Blue Jays decided to push him back after he yielded five runs and three homers among seven hits in five innings of a 10-5 victory over Tampa Bay on May 26. "I just had a poor outing, I wasn't sharp," the 23-year-old Florida native told reporters after his worst start of 2014. "It was just one of those games you have to grind through. But I've been keeping my normal routine, with a few tweaks, and I'll be ready to take the ball on Tuesday." Hutchison, who missed all of 2013 because of Tommy John surgery, never pitched against Detroit, but faced Ian Kinsler (1-for-4, double, three RBIs).

WALK-OFFS

1. Encarnacion is second in the majors with 19 homers, trailing only Baltimore's Nelson Cruz (20), while Encarnacion (50 RBIs) and Cabrera (49) trail only Cruz (52) in the American League.

2. Tigers DH Victor Martinez (team-leading .335) went 0-for-7 over the final two games of the road trip after going 13-for-26 in his previous seven contests.

3. Detroit took three of four in Toronto from July 1-4, 2013 in the last meeting. The series was marred by a late slide from the Blue Jays' Colby Rasmus, which resulted in Tigers' second baseman Omar Infante suffering a bruised knee and sprained ankle. Infante went to Kansas City via free agency and Rasmus is on the DL.

PREDICTION: Tigers 3, Blue Jays 2