Toronto @ Boston preview
Fenway Park
Last Meeting ( May 10, 2015 ) Boston 6, Toronto 3
The Toronto Blue Jays are winners of eight straight and are about to run into a team searching for answers in the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox will try to avoid their fourth straight loss when they host the Blue Jays in the opener of a three-game series on Friday.
Boston lost all three games at Baltimore this week in a series marked by the continued failures of the starting pitching and the offense's struggles with runners in scoring position. Things were bad enough on Thursday that manager John Farrell and starter Wade Miley engaged in a heated exchange in the dugout while the left-hander was stumbling. The Blue Jays are experiencing no such dysfunction and bring into the series an offense averaging 7.1 runs in the last eight games. "This lineup is unbelievable from top to bottom," Toronto's Justin Smoak told reporters. "You just try to get on base for the guy behind you, and we're able to get those big hits. It shows when you win ballgames."
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, RSN (Toronto), NESN (Boston)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Blue Jays RH Drew Hutchison (5-1, 4.91 ERA) vs. Red Sox RH Joe Kelly (2-4, 5.40)
Hutchison improved to 2-0 in his last three starts with a win over Houston his last time out. The 24-year-old limited the Astros to one run on six hits and a walk while striking out five in 6 1/3 innings. Hutchison beat the Red Sox at home on May 9 but was lit up for six runs on nine hits and five walks in four frames at Boston on April 28.
Kelly snapped a nine-start winless streak by breezing through six innings against Oakland on Saturday. The former Cardinal has allowed two runs or fewer in four of his last five turns and finally got enough support while striking out six to defeat the Athletics. Kelly was not as successful in two starts against the Blue Jays, yielding a total of 11 runs and walking 10 over 11 2/3 frames.
WALK-OFFS
1. Blue Jays C Russell Martin is 5-for-11 with two homers, four runs scored and four RBIs in his last three games.
2. Boston 2B Dustin Pedroia has hit safely in 19 of his last 21 contests.
3. Toronto 3B Josh Donaldson has recorded four consecutive multi-hit performances.
PREDICTION: Blue Jays 8, Red Sox 3