Boston @ Toronto preview
Rogers Centre
Last Meeting ( May 12, 2010 ) Toronto 3, Boston 2
Toronto and Boston are turning to their talented lefties in an effort to help right their respective ships.
Ricky Romero and Jon Lester will do battle Friday in a showdown of strikeout-happy southpaws as the Blue Jays welcome the rival Red Sox to the Rogers Centre. It's the final three-game series for both teams before the three-day All-Star break.
Both teams could use a respite.
The reeling Red Sox come to Canada having lost four straight games, dropping them back into third place in the American League East standings. They're just 18-20 against division opponents this season - a record that pales when measured to those put up by the division-leading New York Yankees (20-11) and the runner-up Tampa Bay Rays (22-10).
Making matters worse is the fact that Boston is without several key regulars due to injury. The list of walking wounded includes second baseman Dustin Pedroia, catchers Victor Martinez and Jason Varitek, center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury and starters Josh Beckett and Clay Buchholz.
They're hoping for continued strong pitching from Lester (10-3) as they aim to avoid matching their season-high losing streak.
Lester has sizzled, going 7-1 over his last nine starts while allowing fewer than three runs in each of his last four outings. He surrendered just five hits over seven innings in his last outing, a 9-3 drubbing of the Baltimore Orioles six days ago.
Lester, who sits third in the American League in strikeouts, is 5-3 all-time against the Blue Jays with a 2.71 ERA and 61 Ks in 66 1/3 innings. More impressively, he has held the traditionally powerful Toronto lineup to just two homers in his career.
That total could jump in tonight’s opener, especially if Toronto swings the bats like it did in Thursday's impressive 8-1 win over the visiting Minnesota Twins.
The Jays swatted five homers in the rout, bringing their major league-leading total to 130. Lyle Overbay's 10th long ball of the season gave the Blue Jays a franchise-record eight players with double-digit homers prior to the All-Star Break.
Toronto will lean on Romero (6-5) as it looks to return to the good side of the .500 mark. Romero is 0-2 over his last three outings and lasted just 2 2/3 innings in his previous start, allowing eight runs in an 11-3 loss to the New York Yankees. It was the shortest outing of his major league career.
Romero, ranked sixth in the AL in strikeouts, will try to improve on his dreadful numbers against the Red Sox. The 25-year-old is 1-3 all-time with a 7.66 ERA over five starts - though his only victory against Boston came in their previous meeting, an 8-7 triumph on Sept. 29. Romero went five innings in that game, allowing two runs on seven hits.