Texas @ Toronto preview

Last Meeting ( May 27, 2012 ) Toronto 6, Texas 12

The Texas Rangers have a comfortable lead in the American League West - but they're far from satisfied. Getting Yu Darvish back on track is among the Rangers' concerns, and the Japanese right-hander will get his first crack at turning things around Friday night as he leads Texas into a weekend series against the host Toronto Blue Jays. Darvish has been dreadful since the All-Star Break but his slide hasn't hurt the Rangers, who enter Friday's action with a six-game lead over runner-up Oakland.

The Rangers avoided a four-game sweep at Yankee Stadium, claiming the series finale 10-6 Thursday afternoon. The double-digit outburst came at a pivotal time for the Rangers, who lead the majors in runs but crossed the plate just four times in the first three games of the series. They'll try to keep the offense rolling against Blue Jays left-hander J.A. Happ, who is coming off his first win in a Toronto uniform. The Blue Jays are finally on the verge of getting some of their injured players back, but not until after the Texas series.

TV: 7:07 p.m. ET, KTXA (Texas), RSN (Toronto)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rangers RH Yu Darvish (12-8, 4.54 ERA) vs. Blue Jays LH J.A. Happ (1-1, 6.35)

Darvish looked like one of the best hurlers in the American League before the All-Star break but has run into all sorts of problems in the second half. He's just 2-3 with a 7.11 ERA in his last six starts, pitching seven innings just once in that span. Control problems that were sporadic in the first half have become an epidemic, with the 26-year-old issuing 26 walks in 38 innings since the break. He's a perfect 2-0 in two starts against Toronto, allowing just four runs over 12 innings.

Happ hasn't looked good in two starts with the Blue Jays, surrendering eight runs over 10 innings of work. He escaped with the victory last time out but will need to be better against a Rangers team averaging more than five runs per game. This may be Happ's final bid to remain in the rotation, with right-hander Brandon Morrow expected to return as early as next week against Detroit. Happ has faced the Rangers just once in his career, and was torched for seven runs on eight hits over 2 2/3 frames.

WALK-OFFS

1. The teams have two of the top three home-run hitters in the American League. The Rangers' Josh Hamilton is second with 34 homers while Toronto's Edwin Encarnacion sits tied for third with 30 dingers.

2. Darvish is just 4-6 with a 4.59 ERA in 11 road starts.

3. Toronto has scored just 53 runs in losing 14 of its last 18 games.