Cleveland @ Toronto preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 8, 2012 ) Toronto 3, Cleveland 4

The Toronto Blue Jays and Cleveland Indians enter the second half of the major-league season Friday night with major questions to answer in the coming weeks. Both teams must decide if they are a deal or two away from making waves in the American League playoff race or if it is time to look toward 2013. Cleveland looks like a buyer at this point, just three games out in the AL Central. Toronto is well back in the East and may look to sell off a piece or two.

Friday's series opener features two starters who each struggled in the first half. Cleveland's Justin Masterson had a solid stretch in mid-June but has otherwise fallen short of expectations. He'll be opposed by Blue Jays left-hander Ricky Romero, who has seen his ERA rise by more than 1 1/2 runs since the middle of May. It's a critical weekend homestand for Toronto, which hits the road for six games against the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox next week.

TV: 7:07 p.m. ET, STO (Cleveland), RSN (Toronto)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Indians RH Justin Masterson (5-8, 4.40 ERA) vs. Blue Jays LH Ricky Romero (8-4, 5.22)

The break couldn't come soon enough for Masterson, who is coming off one of his worst outings of the season. The 27-year-old lasted just 4 1/3 innings last time out, surrendering eight runs in a one-sided loss to the Tampa Bay Rays. The road has been especially daunting for Masterson, who is 2-4 with a 5.93 ERA in seven starts away from Cleveland. He was masterful in his previous start against Toronto on April 5, allowing a run on two hits while striking out 10 over eight innings.

Romero's sparkling win-loss record is the only thing working in his favor these days. The California native has dropped his last three starts and has been torched for 19 runs over 15 innings in that span. He actually fared well last time out, limiting the Chicago White Sox to a pair of runs on four hits over six innings. That was the first time since May 18 that Romero had surrendered fewer than four runs in an outing. He's 2-1 with a 5.79 ERA in four career starts against the Indians.

WALK-OFFS

1. Blue Jays OF Jose Bautista, who enters the second half tied for the major-league lead with 27 home runs, is hitting .500 (5-for-10) with a pair of homers against Masterson.

2. Toronto signed Edwin Encarnacion to a three-year, $27 million contract extension Thursday.

3. At minus-29, the Indians are one of only two AL teams with a winning record and a negative run differential. The 45-40 Baltimore Orioles are minus-36.