(Sports Network) - The Texas Rangers continue an 11-game homestand this evening with the first of three straight meetings with the Toronto Blue Jays from Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.

Texas started off the lengthy residency by splitting a four-game series with lowly Seattle, as the Mariners drew even with Thursday's 8-5 win.

Seattle put up four early runs on Rangers starter Matt Harrison (2-2) and chased the rookie after 4 2/3 innings in which he allowed six runs (4 earned) and issued five walks.

Ramon Vazquez finished 2-for-3 with a homer and three RBI for Texas, while Frank Catalanotto had a two-run double in the bottom of the ninth inning. Chris Davis collected three hits and scored twice in a losing cause.

Toronto hits the road after dropping the final two tests of its three-game home set with the American League East-leading Tampa Bay Rays, including Wednesday's 3-2 setback. Lyle Overbay accounted for Blue Jays' only scoring with a two-run homer in the first inning, while Joe Inglett ended 3-for-5 on the afternoon.

Scott Richmond, making his major-league debut for Toronto, was hung with the loss after giving up three runs on seven hits over 5 1/3 innings. The 28-year- old became the 14th native Canadian to play for the Jays.

The Blue Jays managed just five runs during their three games with the Rays and have scored only six times over their last four contests. The club will try to get untracked when it faces a pitcher getting his first taste of the majors tonight in Texas' Tommy Hunter.

Hunter, a supplemental first round selection by the Rangers in the 2007 draft, has compiled an 11-8 record and a 3.56 earned run average over 22 starts at three different minor-league levels this season. The University of Alabama product made five starts for Triple-A Oklahoma and went 2-2 with a 3.24 ERA.

The 22-year-old is temporarily taking the rotation spot of Eric Hurley, who will miss a turn due to tendinitis in his right biceps.

Shaun Marcum gets the call for Toronto in the opener and hopes to rebound from a pair of rough outings following his activation from the disabled list.

After being shelved for a month with a strained elbow, Marcum returned to action on July 22 and was tagged for seven runs (6 earned) on eight hits -- three of which were homers -- in 4 2/3 innings during a no-decision at Baltimore. He was a little better in Sunday's start against Seattle, working 5 2/3 innings and permitting four runs, but wound up with a loss in Toronto's 5-1 defeat to the Mariners.

Marcum, whose season ERA rose from 2.65 to 3.22 with the two shaky starts, owns a 1-0 record with a 3.86 ERA in five career games against Texas, two of which were starts.

The Blue Jays swept a three-game series from Texas in Arlington from April 11-13, but the Rangers returned the favor with a pair of victories in Toronto later that month.