The Toronto Blue Jays seem to have caught a break playing a struggling Texas Rangers team missing Cliff Lee and Josh Hamilton, and they will try to keep their bats booming on Tuesday against a returning Scott Feldman.

Feldman makes his first start in more than six weeks and his first appearance of any kind since hitting the disabled list on Aug. 23. He'll have to contend with Vernon Wells, Aaron Hill and the rest of Toronto's potent batting order.

Toronto hit three home runs in a game for the 32nd time on Monday, best in the league. Vernon Wells and Aaron Hill hit homers for the second straight day, while shortstop Yunel Escobar joined the longball fun in a 7-2 series opener over Texas.

The Blue Jays have bashed 211 homers this season, by far the best total in the majors.

Wells and Hill helped pick up the slack as Jose Bautista went 0-for-9 in the last three games. Bautista, with 43 home runs, hasn't hit one in five games, one of his longer droughts in recent weeks.

Escobar, meanwhile, was making his first appearance in a week after dealing with a back injury.

Toronto has now won six straight games against the Rangers this season, with just one loss. The Jays have racked up 48 runs on Texas pitchers, although the figure is somewhat skewed by a 16-run outburst in a May 14 game.

Fallen back to earth

It will be up to Feldman to try to stem the tide for Texas, who've lost eight of their last 11.

While Texas could be in line for its first postseason appearance in 11 years, Feldman has fallen back to earth after a surprising 2009 campaign in which he went 17-8.

Feldman was just 2-5 at the end of the May, and not long after the Rangers acquired Lee from Seattle in July, Feldman was sent to the bullpen. After five appearances, he suffered a deep knee bruise.

Lee, who has struggled with the Rangers since coming over, was originally scheduled to start on Tuesday, but has been pushed back to the weekend because of a back injury.

Hamilton, an American League MVP candidate, hurt his ribs crashing into the outfield wall on Saturday. He doesn't expect to be back in the Toronto series.

Historically, the Rangers are just 44-52 without him in the lineup, according to MLB.com.

Biggest division lead

Despite their swoon, the Rangers still have the benefit of holding the biggest division lead in baseball. Texas is seven up on Oakland in the American League West.

But if they continue to allow six runs per game, fans of the club with just one playoff win in its 38 years in Texas will undoubtedly start to get a bit nervous.

Toronto pitcher Shaun Marcum (11-7) goes for his first win in four starts on Tuesday night.

He's pitched well enough to win in his last two starts — allowing just one run in six innings each time — but didn't factor in either decision.

Marcum will have to deal with Vladimir Guerrero, who's batting .583 against the Jays this season after rapping three hits on Monday. He's also enjoyed success in the head-to-head matchup against Tuesday's starter, going 5-for-15 with two home runs against Marcum.

The teams are playing a four-game series. The Jays announced over the long weekend that Mark Rzepczynski will start on Wednesday, with the ball going to Canadian pitcher Shawn Hill in the finale.

Hill, of Georgetown, Ont., was recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas.