Music: {allcanada} ESCOBAR RETURNS TO TORONTO AS BLUE JAYS HOST YANKEES

The Toronto Blue Jays return home to begin their final homestand of the season tonight against the AL East-leading New York Yankees. The game marks the first home appearance for Yunel Escobar since he received a three-game suspension last week for printing a homophobic slur on his eye-black.

The incident itself took place the Rogers Centre on Sep. 15 against the Boston Red Sox. Escobar had the day off on Sep. 16 before the Jays began a 10-game road trip in New York.

Toronto will hand the ball in the opener to hard-throwing righty Brandon Morrow, who is winless in his last four starts (0-2). Morrow lost to Tampa Bay on Saturday, yielding five runs and five hits with four walks in four innings, dropping him to 8-7 to go along with a 3.28 ERA.

"I saw powerful stuff, maybe the best overall stuff that he's had since coming back from the injury," Farrell said. "They did an outstanding job of not expanding the strike zone on the slider.

"They laid off a number of them to force him to throw them for a strike and unfortunately he wasn't able to throw his breaking ball for a strike until the third inning, and by that time, they had put a number of good swings on some pitches and really ran up the pitch count."

Morrow is 3-3 in 16 games (9 starts) versus the Yankees with a 4.03 ERA.

Toronto helped the Yankees out a bit this week, as it split a four-game series with the Orioles. However, the Blue Jays were denied a series win on Wednesday, dropping a 12-2 decision.

Carlos Villanueva (7-7) was shelled for six runs and served up four home runs despite striking out seven batters in 4 2/3 innings.

"His secondary pitches were the pitches that were up over the middle of the plate that cost him," Blue Jays manager John Farrell said of Villanueva.

Edwin Encarnacion had a solo homer for the Blue Jays and Anthony Gose added an RBI single in defeat, Toronto's eighth in its last 10 contests.

New York won for the ninth time in 11 tries on Wednesday, as CC Sabathia tossed eight strong innings to lead the Yankees past the Minnesota Twins, 8-2, in the rubber match of a three-game set at Target Field.

Sabathia (14-6) allowed two runs on six hits and a walk with 10 strikeouts to snap a five-start winless streak.

"I felt pretty good. The command on the fastball was there today," Sabathia said. "That's what felt good, being able to go out there and command the ball. The fastball command was great and everything works off of that."

Chris Dickerson hit a two-run homer, while Robinson Cano and Curtis Granderson also knocked in a pair of runs for the Yankees, who sit 1 1/2 games ahead of the Baltimore Orioles for the top spot in the AL East.

New York could push that advantage to two on Thursday, as Baltimore has an off-day before starting a three-game series with the Boston Red Sox on Friday.

Getting the call for the Yankees on Thursday will be righty Ivan Nova, who is 12-7 with a 4.94 ERA. Nova was awful on Saturday against the Oakland Athletics, as he surrendered three runs and five hits with two walks in just 2 1/3 innings, but did not factor in the decision of his team's 10-9 win.

Nova beat Toronto the last time he faced it and is 3-1 with a 3.45 ERA in six games (5 starts) against it.

New York has won nine of 14 from the Jays this season.

Kansas City Royals (70-85) at Detroit Tigers (83-72) - 1:05pm et

(Sports Network) - Right-hander Doug Fister takes the mound for the newly- minted front-runners in the American League Central Division - the Detroit Tigers - when they battle the Kansas City Royals in the finale of a four-game series at Comerica Park.

The Tigers took over sole possession of the division lead for the first time since July 23 on Wednesday night, when pinch-runner Don Kelly scored the go- ahead run in the eighth inning and Detroit beat Kansas City, 5-4.

Meanwhile, the Chicago White Sox lost in Cleveland to fall a game off the pace.

With runners on the corners and one out, Detroit's Jhonny Peralta hit a grounder to Mike Moustakas, and the Royals' third baseman threw to second in an attempt to start a double play. Andy Dirks, though, made a great slide into second base to prevent a throw to first. Kelly scored on the play to give Detroit the lead.

"I was just going in hard and trying to make a good, clean, hard slide, and that's what I did," Dirks said.

Jose Valverde tossed a scoreless ninth to secure the victory for the Tigers.

Alex Avila and Austin Jackson homered for Detroit, which has won the first three games in this series.

Rick Porcello got the start for the Tigers and gave up four runs on seven hits over four innings. Joaquin Benoit (4-3) tossed a scoreless eighth to pick up the win.

Jeff Francoeur hit a solo homer for the Royals, who have dropped four straight. David Lough, Alex Gordon and Billy Butler added an RBI apiece.

Kansas City starter Jeremy Guthrie allowed four runs on seven hits over seven innings. Kelvin Herrera (4-3) gave up one run on two hits in the eighth to take the loss.

"The home runs were big swings for them. When I let 'em out of the hand, I didn't expect them to go like they did," Guthrie said. "But both hitters did a real nice job of putting the good part of the bat [on it] and driving it really hard."

The Tigers won seven of the first 11 games between the teams in 2012, though Kansas City swept a three-game set at Kauffman Stadium from Aug. 28-30. Detroit won the 2011 season series, 11-7.

Meanwhile, Fister has won three of his last four starts in September and is 6-2 in his last eight outings while the Tigers have gone 7-3.

He tossed the fifth complete game of his career in his most recent start on Sept. 22 against Minnesota, allowing seven hits and striking out seven in an 8-0 victory - the first shutout of his career.

A start earlier, Fister was ripped for five runs on eight hits in four innings of a 5-4 loss to the White Sox in Chicago.

He's split four lifetime decisions in six career outings against the Royals while posting a 4.04 earned run average in 35 2/3 innings.

Kansas City goes with Mexican-born righty Luis Mendoza, who snapped a string of four straight no-decisions with a defeat of the Indians on Sept. 21.

Mendoza, who fell to 7-9 in 2012 with a 5-3 loss at Tampa Bay on Aug. 22, went on to allow 26 hits and 14 runs in meetings with Detroit, Minnesota and the White Sox (twice) while the Royals were 3-1 in those games.

The Tigers game on Aug. 28 in Kansas City was a 9-8 win for the Royals, as Mendoza was tagged for six runs on seven hits in five innings.

He's 1-1 in eight career matchups with Detroit while toting a bloated 9.30 ERA in 20 1/3 innings.

Oakland Athletics (88-67) at Texas Rangers (91-64) - 2:05pm et

(Sports Network) - Matt Harrison eyes his 18th win and tries to get the Texas Rangers one step closer to a third straight American League West crown on Thursday when the Texas Rangers close out a four-game set with the Oakland Athletics at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.

Harrison pitched well enough to get the win on Saturday in Seattle, as he allowed a run and seven hits in eight innings of work, but did not factor in the decision of his team's 1-0 loss. He is 17-10 with a 3.17 ERA this season.

"He has nothing to hold his head down about," Texas manager Ron Washington said. "He did what he had to do. He gave up a run and we couldn't put another run on the board to make a difference, or put two runs on the board to make a difference.

"Just wait and work and be ready for the next one. I guess you can say he got outpitched, and he pitched well."

Harrison has owned the A's over the course of his young career, going 5-1 with a 3.91 ERA in 11 games (8 starts).

Oakland, meanwhile, will rely on lefty Travis Blackley, who is 5-3 with a 3.75 ERA. Blackley lasted just two innings against the New York Yankees on Sunday, surrendering four runs (2 earned) and four hits with three walks, but escaped without getting a decision in his team's 10-9 extra-inning loss.

Blackley did not get a decision the last time he faced the Rangers and is

Oakland beat Texas for the second straight game pulled within three games of the Rangers in the division on Wednesday, as Derek Norris drove in three runs and the A's used a five-run first inning to take a 9-3 decision.

Stephen Drew finished 4-for-5 with two RBI and Brandon Moss totaled three hits with three runs scored for the Athletics, who have won three of four overall and still lead the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim by two games for the AL's final wild card.

"Certainly it would be nice to win tomorrow, but at this point, these two games I think were big for us," A's manager Bob Melvin said.

Jarrod Parker (12-8) gave up five hits and three runs, fanning eight with three walks over six innings.

Elvis Andrus posted a pair of RBI and Mitch Moreland also knocked in a run for the Rangers, who have dropped four of six, as its magic number for clinching the AL West remained at five.

Texas will close its season with a three-game set against the A's.

Martin Perez (1-3) retired just two batters and was charged in the loss with six hits and five runs.

"Perez just got too many balls up in the middle of the plate," Rangers manager Ron Washington said.

The A's have won eight of 15 from the Rangers this season.

Seattle Mariners (72-83) at Los Angeles Angels (86-69) - 3:35pm et

(Sports Network) - Dan Haren is getting hot at that the right time for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. He goes after his fifth win in six decisions on Thursday when the Angels try to complete a three-game sweep of the Seattle Mariners at Angel Stadium.

Haren won his second straight start on Saturday, as he held the Chicago White Sox to a pair of runs and six hits in six innings to run his record to 12-11, while lowering his ERA to 4.35.

"That's a tough lineup, power throughout," Haren said. "My split was working in the first inning -- all three strikeouts were with the split -- and I went to other pitches as it went along. Whether it's 86 or 91, I'm focusing on keeping the ball down. It's location for me."

Haren beat the Mariners the last time he faced them and is 12-6 lifetime against them with a 2.57 ERA in 22 games.

Seattle will counter with righty Hisashi Iwakuma, who is 7-5 with a 3.41 ERA. Iwakuma snapped a two-start skid on Friday versus the Texas Rangers, as he allowed three hits and eight hits in seven innings.

Iwakuma is 2-0 in three appearances (2 starts) against the Angels this season with a 1.56 ERA. He tossed 7 1/3 scoreless innings to beat them back on Sept. 2.

Los Angeles continues to impress down the stretch and won its fifth straight game on Wednesday, as Torii Hunter's game-winning RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning lifted the streaking Angels to a 4-3 win.

Maicer Izturis, who hadn't tallied a hit in his last 20 pinch-hit at-bats, led off the frame with a single off Stephen Pryor (3-1) to right field. He scampered to second on a wild pitch and Peter Bourjous moved him to third with a sacrifice bunt. Following an intentional walk to Mike Trout, Iztruis scored when Hunter ripped a single to center field.

It was the seventh career walk-off hit for Hunter, who tied the game in the seventh when he flicked a two-out RBI single to right-center field.

"If anything was in the zone, I was going to hit it. It was a cutter, I'm very energetic right now, I want to win, I really want to get there (postseason) and everyone in here wants to get there too," Hunter said.

The Angels, who have won seven of their last nine, sit two games behind the Oakland Athletics for the second AL wild card spot.

Ernesto Frieri (4-2) tossed a scoreless ninth to pick up the win.

Justin Smoak smacked a solo homer for the Mariners, who have dropped three straight contests.

"Smoak swung the bat well all night. We hit the ball on the nose, but right at them," M's manager Eric Wedge said.

The Angels are 10-5 against the Mariners this season.

Tampa Bay Rays (85-70) at Chicago White Sox (82-73) - 8:10pm et

(Sports Network) - Losing two out of three to the lowly Cleveland Indians has to sting for the Chicago White Sox.

The poor effort versus the Tribe pushed Chicago one game behind the Detroit Tigers for the American League Central lead, and now the White Sox will face the playoff-hungry Tampa Bay Rays tonight in the opener of a four-game series.

Chicago has floundered a bit recently, having dropped two straight and seven of eight, and is coming off Wednesday's 6-4 loss versus Cleveland at U.S. Cellular Field. Hector Santiago opened the game on the hill and gave up three runs in 3 1/3 innings, while Matt Thornton was dealt the loss for allowing the go-ahead run in the seventh inning.

Paul Konerko, Alex Rios, A.J. Pierzynski and Alexei Ramirez each knocked in a run for the White Sox. The Tigers defeated Kansas City last night to claim sole possession of the AL Central.

"We have to find a way to win games. We jump out to a lead and we have to shut them down. Tonight we weren't able to do that," Pierzynski said.

At least the White Sox will have veteran Jake Peavy on the mound for Thursday's opener versus the Rays, but he is just 2-5 in his past seven decisions. Peavy lost to the LA Angels in Friday's 6-2 defeat at the Big A, where he gave up five runs and eight hits in five innings.

Peavy's record dropped below .500 at 11-12 in his 30th start and his earned run average rose to 3.40. The right-hander is 6-4 in 14 home starts this season and 2-1 with a lofty 6.48 ERA in three career starts against the Rays.

The Rays are rolling with seven straight wins and swept a quick two-game set in Boston to kick off a six-game road trip.

In Wednesday's 4-2 win over the Red Sox at Fenway Park, Carlos Pena and Ben Francisco both homered and Jeff Keppinger went 2-for-4 with two runs scored for the Rays, who sit three games off the last wild card spot in the AL.

Alex Cobb continued his recent dominance on the hill and collected the win by holding the Red Sox to a run and three hits in five innings. Cy Young Award candidate Fernando Rodney tacked on his 45th save with a scoreless ninth.

"I want it to be exactly like last year," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "It's starting to look a lot like Christmas. We've just been playing so well. The mantra is one game at a time."

James Shields gets the nod for Maddon's club tonight and is 7-2 with a 2.04 earned run average in his last 10 starts. The Rays are 8-2 over that time and gave him plenty of run support his previous time out in a 12-1 win versus Toronto last Friday. Shields struck out nine and held the Blue Jays scoreless through seven innings.

Shields, who is 15-9 in 31 starts with a 3.65 ERA this season, lost to the White Sox back on May 29, when he was torched for six runs, five of which were earned, and 10 hits in six innings. The right-hander is 3-3 with a 4.95 ERA in 10 career starts against Chicago.

Chicago swept that early-season series from May 28-30 and has won six of the past nine matchups between the two clubs.