This week’s American League East clash in Boston features a role reversal from the norm as the Toronto Blue Jays begin a three-game series against the Red Sox with a commanding upper hand in the standings.
The opener is Tuesday night.
The Blue Jays entered the week in a virtual tie with Tampa Bay and Seattle atop the wild card standings after taking two of three from the Yankees in New York.
Despite a 4-2 loss in Sunday’s series finale, Toronto has won four of five. Across those five games, the team’s starting pitchers have allowed just three earned runs in 30 innings.
“(We’re) pitching really, really well,” interim manager John Schneider said after Sunday’s game, in which Alek Manoah allowed just one earned run on four hits in six innings. “Starting pitching, bullpen … I think you look at the way our pitching performed, it was a really good series.”
Boston, meanwhile, was unable to pick up its third consecutive series win after Sunday’s 5-3 loss to Baltimore at the Little League Classic in Williamsport, Pa.
“It’s not an easy day, travel-wise and all that,” manager Alex Cora said. “But then when you get here and you forget about all the luxury and the five-star hotels and traveling and all that, and you get connected with kids and the whole atmosphere, it was awesome.”
It was a memorable day, but the loss dropped the Red Sox to six games back in the wild-card race.
Franchy Cordero’s game-tying home run in the eighth inning went to waste as the Orioles pulled ahead a half-inning later against oft-used reliever John Schreiber.
Right-hander Josh Winckowski (5-6, 5.19 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Red Sox on Tuesday opposite Toronto right-hander Ross Stripling (5-3, 2.93).
Stripling is coming off a terrific outing last Wednesday in which he took a perfect game into the seventh inning against the Orioles. He exited after 6 1/3 scoreless innings having given up just one hit and no walks with seven strikeouts. He is 2-3 with a 5.92 ERA in nine career starts against Boston.
Winckowski has gone at least five innings in each of his last four starts but got shelled in his most recent outing against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday, allowing six runs on seven hits in five innings to take the loss. He struck out two and walked one. This will be his first time facing Toronto.
Boston was originally set to start Nathan Eovaldi, who was scratched from his scheduled Thursday outing in Pittsburgh with a sore trap muscle in his shoulder. However, Eovaldi was placed on the 15-day injured list Tuesday, leading to Winckowski’s recall from Triple-A Worcester.
The Red Sox also placed first baseman Eric Hosmer on the 10-day injured list Tuesday. He missed Sunday’s game with lower back pain.
Former Red Sox outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr., who was signed by the Blue Jays on Aug. 9 after being released, has driven in three runs over his past two starts. He hit a two-run double during Saturday’s 5-2 win in New York and drew a bases-loaded, game-tying walk in Sunday’s seventh inning.
The series will mark Bradley’s first time facing the organization that drafted him in 2011. His playoff experience will come in handy in the young clubhouse.
“I’m just trying to help out any way I possibly can,” Bradley said. “Obviously, it’s a really good team. I’m excited to be here. … It’s going to be fun (competing in a playoff race). There’s going to be a lot more attention, but (I’d just tell the rest of the team) to enjoy the moment and have fun.”
–Field Level Media
