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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 27, 2022 2:27:36 GMT -5
Red Sox @ Blue Jays Monday, 27th June 2022 7pm @ Rogers Center
Seabold (Debut)
Gausman 5-6/3.19
Red Sox aim for eighth straight win when they visit Blue Jays FLM
Red Sox aim for eighth straight win when they visit Blue Jays
The surging Boston Red Sox will try to extend their seven-game winning streak on Monday night when they visit the stumbling Toronto Blue Jays for the opener of a three-game series.
The Red Sox continued their spectacular June with an 8-3 victory over the host Cleveland Guardians on Sunday afternoon to finish a three-game series sweep.
"It's not easy to do," Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. "That's a good baseball team, they've been playing great. But we're a different team. We know we're good and we have to keep working. We have to keep working hard for what we're trying to accomplish. We feel good. Now we have to get ready for Toronto."
Boston is 19-4 for the month.
The Blue Jays are 12-12 in June after losing the final two games of their three-game series against the host Milwaukee Brewers. They finished their road trip with a 2-4 record.
In losing 5-4 on Saturday and 10-3 on Sunday, neither Yusei Kikuchi nor Jose Berrios could get out of the third inning of their starts for the Blue Jays.
"At the end of the day, it's pitching," Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo said. "For us to make a run and keep playing well, we need pitching and that hasn't happened in the last couple days. It's tough. It's taxing on the bullpen. The whole road trip was taxing on the bullpen."
Montoyo appreciated the work of Max Castillo, who pitched four scoreless innings in relief on Saturday in his second major league appearance. He allowed a single and two walks while striking out seven.
"He was outstanding," Montoyo said. "He did a great job to try and keep us in the game."
Right-hander Kevin Gausman (5-6, 3.19 ERA) will start for the Blue Jays against the Red Sox for the third time this season on Monday. He is 1-0 with an 0.64 ERA in his first two starts against them this season. In 22 career appearances (17 starts) against Boston, he is 5-8 with a 4.01 ERA.
Right-hander Connor Seabold (0-0 0.00) is expected to be the starter for the Red Sox. It would be his second career major league start and the first this season. He has never faced the Blue Jays.
The Blue Jays are 5-2 this season against the Red Sox but the games were played in April.
"Obviously, they're one of the big boys in the division, they've been playing solid throughout this season and it's going to be a challenge," Cora said. "But we'll be ready for it."
Right-hander Tanner Houck and outfielder Jarren Duran, who are unvaccinated against COVID-19, will be on the restricted list for the series in Toronto because of Canada's vaccine mandate.
Duran was 4-for-5 with two stolen bases on Saturday and was 2-for-5 with a walk on Sunday.
"The dynamic player we envisioned," Cora said. "He's just having fun. Running the bases, being an athlete, hitting the ball the other way, not trying to do too much. This is what we want."
Rob Refsnyder likely will take most of Duran's playing time in Toronto.
Houck is 6-for-6 in save opportunities since being moved into the closer's role. John Schreiber and Matt Strahm will likely be used to close games in Toronto.
Blue Jays center fielder George Springer (right elbow discomfort) returned to the starting lineup Sunday after missing three consecutive games. He was 1-for-4.
--Field Level Media
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 27, 2022 2:29:05 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 8h Pitching matchups for the #RedSox - #BlueJays series:
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 27, 2022 2:29:41 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 9h Yolmer Sanchez will replace Duran on the roster in Toronto.
No 40-man move is needed. Cora said Sanchez is likely to start Wednesday so Story can get two days off in a row.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 27, 2022 2:30:47 GMT -5
Yolmer Sánchez will travel with Boston Red Sox to Toronto and is a candidate to take Jarren Duran’s roster spot Updated: Jun. 26, 2022, 6:57 p.m. | Published: Jun. 26, 2022, 5:39 p.m.
By Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
Update: Yolmer Sánchez is expected to be activated Monday, taking Jarren Duran’s spot on the active roster.
Infielder Yolmer Sánchez will travel with the Boston Red Sox to Toronto on Sunday night, according to an industry source.
Sánchez is a candidate to be added to the active roster Monday as Jarren Duran’s replacement. Duran is unable to travel to Canada because he’s unvaccinated from COVID-19.
The Red Sox and Blue Jays play three games at Rogers Centre on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
Duran will need to be placed on the restricted list.
Sánchez signed a minor league contract with the Red Sox in the offseason. He has batted .254 with a .381 on-base percentage, .424 slugging percentage, .805 OPS, eight homers, 11 doubles, one triple, 39 runs and 29 RBIs in 68 games (265 plate appearances) at Triple-A Worcester this season.
The 29-year-old Venezuelan native won the American League Gold Glove at second base in 2019.
Sánchez has appeared in 657 major league games, all with the White Sox from 2014-20. He has a career .245/.300/.360/.660 line.
Other potential candidates to take Duran’s spot might include outfielders Jaylin Davis and Christin Stewart.
Sánchez is not on the 40-man roster but the Red Sox can add a player who is not on the 40-man roster for the three games in Toronto, then the added player would not have to go through the waiver process in order to return to Worcester after Wednesday’s game.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 27, 2022 2:42:26 GMT -5
Injuries & Moves: Sale set for three inning rehab start June 26th, 2022
Keep track of the Red Sox’s recent transactions and injury updates throughout the season. LATEST NEWS
June 26: LHP Chris Sale set for next rehab start Sale will return to New England this week to throw a three inning rehab start with Double-A Portland on June 30. Sale is set to throw a bullpen session in Boston on June 27 before joining Portland. The lefty made a rehab start on June 25 for the Florida Complex League Red Sox. He allowed three hits and struck out six over 2 2/3 innings, throwing 36 pitches. -- Henry Palattella
LHP Josh Taylor (lower back strain) Expected return: July Taylor, who has spent months recovering from a back injury that has prevented him from pitching this season, is turning a corner at last. The lefty started a rehab assignment at Triple-A Worcester on June 21, throwing a scoreless inning. He’s been throwing every other day since. -- Henry Palattella (Last updated: June 26)
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 27, 2022 2:44:11 GMT -5
‘This next month is going to tell a lot’: Red Sox prepare for important stretch of Al East opponents "This is going to be the month where we really see where we’re at."
By Tom Westerholm June 26, 2022
The Red Sox dug themselves a bit of a hole at the start of the season, but they have a chance to climb out during a crucial stretch over the next month.
Before the All-Star Break, which begins on July 18, the Red Sox play division opponents 17 times. Six of those games are against the Yankees, who lead the division by 11 games. They also face the Rays seven times, as well as the Blue Jays for a three-game series that begins on Monday.
“This next month is going to tell a lot,” J.D. Martinez told reporters on Sunday. “This is going to be the month where we really see where we’re at. I’m looking forward to it.”
The Red Sox’s recent surge — which includes an active seven-game winning streak after they knocked off the Guardians 8-3 on Sunday — propelled them over the Rays by 1.5 games in the AL East standings and in the wildcard standings. The Blue Jays are tied with the Rays, while the Guardians are now 3.5 games behind the Red Sox.
The Yankees will be the toughest test, although they have cooled off slightly — 6-4 in their last 10 games. Still, they beat the Astros 6-3 on Aaron Judge’s walk-off three-run homer in the 10th inning and have MLB’s best record by a significant margin.
“It sucks that we started the year off the way that we did, but we’re making up ground,” Martinez said Sunday. “I don’t look at the standings because I know the Yankees are playing out of their minds. But that’s who we want to track down. It’s still a long season and a lot more time left.”
First pitch between the Red Sox and Blue Jays is scheduled for 6:07 p.m. on Monday.
“We know we’re good and we gotta keep working,” Alex Cora said. “We’ve got to keep working hard for what we are trying to accomplish, but we feel good. Now, we get ready for Toronto. Obviously, they’re one of the big boys in the division, but we’ll be ready for it.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 27, 2022 2:45:43 GMT -5
Blue Jays host the Red Sox to open 3-game series By The Associated PressUpdated June 27, 2022, 15 minutes ago
Toronto; Monday, 7:07 p.m. EDT PITCHING PROBABLES
Red Sox: Connor Seabold (0-0)
Blue Jays: Kevin Gausman (5-6, 3.19 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 87 strikeouts) FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK LINE:
Blue Jays -180, Red Sox +155; over/under is 9 runs BOTTOM LINE:
The Toronto Blue Jays host the Boston Red Sox on Monday to begin a three-game series.
Toronto is 40-32 overall and 21-14 at home. Blue Jays hitters are batting a collective .255, which ranks second in the AL.
Boston has a 22-15 record on the road and a 42-31 record overall. Red Sox hitters are batting a collective .261, the best team batting average in the AL.
Monday's game is the eighth time these teams match up this season. The Blue Jays are ahead 5-2 in the season series.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 27, 2022 2:47:37 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK Alex Verdugo has a clear vision of what he wants to do when he steps up to the plate By Julian McWilliams Globe Staff,Updated June 26, 2022, 8:45 p.m.
CLEVELAND — Alex Verdugo felt like his timing was out of sorts during different parts of the season.
He knew he could get to the fastball. He knew his bat-to-ball skills were elite. But something felt off. Something had to be corrected.
He always hit with an open stance, but figured by closing it slightly he would cut down all the excessive movement, getting him quicker to a spot where he could do damage.
There was only one issue. When he closed his stance slightly, it cut off his vision of the pitcher. Instead of seeing the pitcher with both eyes, he only saw the pitcher with his left eye. Seeing the ball? That was a problem, too. So he decided to gradually open his stance again. Getting back to the old, he thought, would lend itself to better results.
“I don’t cut off my eyes,” Verdugo said recently. “Before I was already closed and when I went to make my move I just had my [peripheral vision]. For me, it was just open up, stay relaxed, and it worked.”
It’s hard to notice the change. It’s slight. But Verdugo feels it and if you look close enough he, indeed, is more open, similar to his days as a Dodger.
Verdugo dominated at the plate in his team’s three-game sweep against the Guardians. He went 2 for 5 in the series opener Friday. He hit everything hard, prompting manager Alex Cora to call it Verdugo’s best offensive showing of the season.
“He was patient, he worked the count, he hit the ball the other way,” Cora said. “As far as the quality of the at-bats, tonight was his best night of the season.”
On Saturday, Verdugo continued his offensive display, belting a three-run homer off starter Shane Bieber in the sixth inning to help propel the team to a win.
Verdugo is riding a seven-game hit streak following his 2-for-3, three-walk effort in Sunday’s 8-3 victory, and is hitting .256/.305/.376.
Clearly, he’s seeing the baseball.
“Back in the day, it didn’t matter [that I was open], I would find a way,” Verdugo said. “And you know, I’m just going back to that. I just want to keep both my eyes on the ball.”
Cora reneged on his Friday comment after what he saw from Verdugo on Sunday.
“Today was his best day,” Cora said. “I mean, two singles and three walks, that’s hard to do.” Unvaccinated and unavailable
Tanner Houck and Jarren Duran, who remain unvaccinated against COVID-19, will go on the restricted list for the upcoming series against the Blue Jays because of Canada’s vaccine mandate. Houck will throw live batting practice against Duran Wednesday at Fenway. Duran and Houck are the only two that won’t make the trip … Infielder Yolmer Sanchez, who is not on the 40-man, will take Duran’s spot. Because it’s COVID-related, the Sox aren’t required to pick a player from their 40-man roster … Righthander Aaron Civale, Cleveland’s starter Sunday, played at Northeastern from 2014-16. The East Windsor, Conn., native was a third-round draft choice in 2016 by Cleveland … Chris Sale (right rib cage fracture) is slated to start Thursday for Double A Portland against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. Sale is scheduled to pitch three innings … Connor Seabold will take the ball Monday against Kevin Gausman for the Sox’ first game of a three-game set with the Blue Jays. Michael Wacha vs. Ross Stripling is set for Tuesday, and Nick Pivetta vs. Alek Manoah will be Wednesday’s matchup … The Sox have won 9 of 11 against the Guardians and seven of their last eight at Progressive Field … J.D. Martinez has reached base safely in all 30 road games he has played this season. The last Red Sox player to do that was Carl Yastrzemski, who reached safely in his first 31 road games in 1975. Ted Williams had a 38-game streak in 1946 … The Sox left 16 runners on base, their most in a nine-inning game since stranding 16 in a 5-2 loss against the Yankees on Aug. 30, 2011 at Fenway Park … The Sox are 35-17 outside the American League East.
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(Peter Abraham of the Globe staff contributed to this report.)
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 27, 2022 3:05:21 GMT -5
Jarren Duran continues to impress for Red Sox, but unavailability for key Toronto series raises questions Duran will miss Jays series because he’s unvaccinated
By Steve Hewitt | stephen.hewitt@bostonherald.com | Boston Herald PUBLISHED: June 26, 2022 at 7:37 p.m. | UPDATED: June 27, 2022 at 12:21 a.m.
The Red Sox are surely going to miss Jarren Duran for the next three days.
During their weekend sweep of the Guardians, Duran’s ability was on full display as he showed all the reasons why he’s been hyped as the Red Sox’ center fielder of the future. The speedy leadoff hitter was captivating with his bat and speed on the bases as he continued to contribute significantly to winning since he was called up again on June 15.
Duran’s emergence at the top of the lineup has been important for the Red Sox without everyday center fielder Kiké Hernandez, who’s still on the injured list, and his confidence seems to be growing with every game as he takes advantage of a valuable opportunity. But he suddenly won’t be available for the Red Sox’ key three-game series with the Blue Jays this week in Toronto because he’s unvaccinated against COVID-19, which prohibits him from entering Canada.
“It’s hard,” Duran said last week. “It’s also a personal decision. It’s just what I have to decide. I don’t have any further comments on that. …
“Obviously, I want to be in the lineup every day. But it’s just a personal decision that I’m still thinking about with family and friends and everybody.”
Duran’s impact this weekend was significant. He went 4-for-5 with two stolen bases in Saturday’s win, and followed that up Sunday by reaching base three times, including an athletic play in the third. After an 11-pitch at-bat with Guardians starter Aaron Civale, Duran hit a grounder to second, but Andres Gimenez’s throw was off target, and Duran somehow evaded first baseman Owen Miller’s tag and stepped on first to reach safely. He ultimately scored to give the Sox a 1-0 lead.
Duran has a .333 average and .894 OPS while putting constant pressure on defenses with his speed over 10 games since his latest promotion. He’s adding a dimension from the leadoff spot that the Red Sox haven’t had in years.
“The dynamic player we envisioned,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters on Saturday. “He’s just having fun. Running the bases, being an athlete, hitting the ball the other way, not trying to do too much. This is what we want.”
But Duran can’t play again until Friday when the Red Sox open a series at Wrigley Field against the Cubs, and there are no promises in the big leagues, even if Duran has shown he deserves to stick around. Rob Refsnyder figures to take most of Duran’s playing time in Toronto and the Red Sox will ultimately need to decide whether to keep Duran or Refsnyder on the roster whenever Hernandez is back in the picture. As good of an impression Duran has made, his next opportunity is uncertain. Who’s the closer?
Duran won’t be the only key Red Sox player unavailable in Toronto. Tanner Houck, who’s also unvaccinated, will have to stay back.
Houck has thrived in his new role as the closer as he’s converted all six of his save opportunities. On Sunday, he pitched on a third consecutive day for the first time in his career, which bodes well for his future. But the Red Sox will have to use alternatives if they face a situation to protect a ninth-inning lead this week in Toronto.
The obvious candidates are John Schreiber and Matt Strahm, who have performed exceptionally in setup roles. But Cora is being cautious with Schreiber, who he stayed away from on Sunday. His availability for Monday is uncertain even though he only threw three pitches on Saturday.
“He’ll say he’s OK, but obviously we’re going to be smart about it,” Cora told reporters. “We’ve been pitching him hard.” Odds & ends
The Red Sox begin this week’s series atop the Wild Card standings by 1 1/2 games over the Blue Jays. They’re 2-5 against the Jays this season, but all those games were in April. The Red Sox have still yet to win a series this season against a division opponent.
“Obviously they’re one of the big boys in the division, they’ve been playing solid throughout this season and it’s going to be a challenge,” Cora said of the Jays. “But we’ll be ready for it.” …
Cora told reporters in Cleveland that Chris Sale will make his next rehab start on Thursday for Portland. He’s expected to pitch three innings as the Sea Dogs face New Hampshire at Hadlock Field at 6 p.m. … Connor Seabold is expected to start for the Red Sox for Monday’s opener in Toronto, which would be his second career start. … Trevor Story recorded his 500th career RBI and 50th RBI of the season in Sunday’s win. He ranks fourth in the AL in that category.
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Post by Kimmi on Jun 27, 2022 7:14:03 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 8h Pitching matchups for the #RedSox - #BlueJays series:
Some more tough pitching matchups. Should be another good series.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 27, 2022 7:43:53 GMT -5
The red-hot Red Sox are about to face their toughest test yet
By Rob Bradford WEEI 93.7 an hour ago Talking about the hottest team in baseball
Alex Cora knows what's coming.
“Toronto’s one of the big boys in the division,” Cora said after his team completed its sweep of Cleveland for a seventh straight win. “They’ve been playing well. It’s going to be a challenge, but we’re ready for it.”
The Red Sox manager also has to realize that his team's task for the next three games isn't just your run-of-the-mill meeting with a good American League East team.
After passing a 1 1/2 months worth of tests, this is Cora's club biggest one to date.
Start with the fact that the Blue Jays are considered by many one of the most talented teams in all of baseball. Sure, the Red Sox have put Toronto in their rearview mirror for the time being thanks to a 19-4 month of June, while the Jays have lost their last four series. But the Sox have learned first-hand how difficult it is to function at Rogers Centre.
The Blue Jays have beaten the Red Sox in six of the teams' last eight meetings in Toronto, taking three of four against Boston back in April.
The positive for the Red Sox, obviously, is that they are a dramatically different team than the last time the two clubs faced off ... in so many ways. Since early May, the Sox have become one of the best offensive teams after previously living life as one of the worst.
And while the likes of Kiké Hernandez, Garrett Whitlock and Nathan Eovaldi have been sidelined, the Red Sox' depth has emerged as the kind of strength that is usually the lifeblood of any contender.
But what the Sox now face is next-level.
It starts with rookie Connor Seabold needing to jump into the Red Sox' rotation due to Whitlock's slower-than-expected return from a hip ailment, having to go up against a pitcher in Kevin Gausman who absolutely dominated the Sox in his first two starts against them. In two April starts against Boston, the righty allowed two runs over 14 innings.
The next two starters the Red Sox will have to face are no bargains, either. Tuesday they take on Ross Stripling, who hasn't allowed more than one run in any of his appearances since May 7. Then comes one of the American League's best pitchers this season, Alex Manoah, owner of the third-best ERA (2.05) in the A.L.
And then, of course, there is the matter of playing without two more key participants - Jarren Duran and Tanner Houck - due to their vaccination status.
As was put on display in Cleveland, Duran has been a revelation at the top of the Red Sox' batting order, going 5-for-11 with two walks in his first inning at-bats. In his most recent two games, the outfielder is a combined 6-for-10.
Taking Duran's place on the Red Sox' roster will be veteran infielder Yolmer Sanchez, who served a starter for the White Sox from 2017-19 and was hitting .253 with an .805 OPS for Triple-A Worcester.
The absence of Houck means Cora will need to find another ninth-inning option. While logic would suggest that the Red Sox' best lock-down reliever of late, John Schreiber, would get the nod, "8 Mile" might still be called on to get the biggest outs earlier in the ninth, leaving the close outs to someone like Matt Strahm.
(Such subtle items as Vlad Guerrero going hitless in four at-bats against Hansel Robles, or Teoscar Hernandez having gone 0-for-5 vs. Ryan Brasier might be factored in.)
The Red Sox are riding the kind of wave not experienced in these parts for some time. And if they are able to leave Canada with yet another series win, this would undeniably be the biggest feather in this team's cap so far.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 27, 2022 7:45:13 GMT -5
J.P. Long @soxnotes
The Red Sox have the longest active winning streak in MLB.
Since May 10, the Red Sox have three winning streaks of 6+ games, and only one losing streak of 2 games.
W L WW L W L WWWWWW L W L W L W LL WWWWWWW L W L WWW L W L WWWWWWW
Total: 32-12 (.727)
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 27, 2022 7:54:14 GMT -5
It’s time for Jays to take a stand with AL East rivals rolling into town It’s not exactly the best of times for the hometown nine after a 2-4 road trip that ended in ugly fashion in Milwaukee on Sunday. Mike Wilner By Mike WilnerBaseball Columnist Sun., June 26, 2022timer4 min. read
The Blue Jays have played a few “biggest series of the year” so far this season, and they have a couple more coming up as they limp home from a 2-4 road trip through Chicago and Milwaukee.
The Jays were passed by the Boston Red Sox and caught by the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League wild-card race over the weekend, and will now host both those teams as they head into the Canada Day weekend: Boston for three, then T-Bay for five.
It’s not exactly the best of times for the hometown nine. They were outscored 39-38 on a trip that started and finished with ugly performances by opening-day starter José Berríos. For the most part, they couldn’t outslug their poor pitching.
The rotation, which held the team together while the bats were slow to wake up over the first two months, is going through its toughest run of the season with only three quality starts (at least six innings, no more than three earned runs) in the last 10 games.
Kevin Gausman, Ross Stripling and Alek Manoah, authors of those quality starts, will be first out of the chute on the homestand, but Manoah will only pitch once over the eight games, which is not how you’d like to see the rotation set up. When there are so few days off, though — the Jays are in the midst of 40 games in 41 days — it’s not really possible to tweak a rotation for any given series, or even for a week.
The last time they saw Boston, they beat them three times in four games at Fenway Park, dropping the Red Sox to 8-12. Boston is 34-19 since, including a ridiculous 19-4 June so far. They’ll arrive at the Rogers Centre on a seven-game winning streak.
Boston will also arrive short-handed. Leadoff man Enrique Hernández is out with a hip injury. His replacement, Jarren Duran, has been an absolute revelation. The 25-year-old has hit .333 in 10 games since taking over at the top of the order. Duran won’t make the trip to Toronto, though, since he has chosen not to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
Not only will there be an issue for the Red Sox at the beginning of the game, but they’ll be behind the eight-ball at the end, as well. Righty Tanner Houck, who missed a start back in April because he couldn’t cross the border for the same reason as Duran, has since become the closer. He has six saves and a 1.54 ERA in June alone. If there are ninth-inning leads to protect at the Rogers Centre, they will have to find someone else to do it.
It really won’t matter who does or doesn’t make the trip for the opposition if the Jays’ pitching doesn’t clean up its act in a hurry, though. With the starters having recorded a total of just 14 outs over the last two games, a bullpen that’s already missing Yimi García, Trevor Richards and Julian Merryweather has had quite the workload to deal with. No doubt reinforcements will be on the way prior to Monday’s series opener, but it’s not as though there’s a game-changer waiting to be called up from Buffalo. One could make the case for 22-year-old Adrian Hernandez and his 1.88 ERA, but he hasn’t pitched in a week (though he did warm up in the bullpen four straight days).
As for those ever-pesky Rays, the Canada Day weekend brings them to Toronto for the first time this season. They were supposed to be here for opening week, but that trip was cancelled after the lockout delayed the start of the season. Instead of the regular three visits to Toronto, they’ll only come to town twice, for five games each time.
The Rays are coming off a hard-fought sweep of the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates: three wins by a combined four runs. They’ll host the first-place Brewers for two while the Jays and Red Sox go at it.
Tampa Bay had lost eight of 11 before getting to play the Pirates, but they’re getting healthy now with phenom shortstop Wander Franco back in the lineup Sunday after a 23-game absence with a quadriceps strain. Centre-fielder Kevin Kiermaier, long a thorn in the Jays’ collective side, is on the injured list with a hip injury, but could be back for the final three or four games of the weekend series.
Catcher Mike Zunino (shoulder) and second baseman Brandon Lowe (back) are unlikely to play in Toronto. They’re also Jays killers, but it feels like pretty much all the Rays are.
Make no mistake, while this is a big week coming up, it’s absolutely not going to make or break the Jays’ season no matter what happens. They do need to at least split the first four games, though, in order to avoid their first losing calendar month since they went 3-4 in July of 2020.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 27, 2022 8:49:57 GMT -5
Blue Jays vs. Red Sox series preview: Boston’s hot, Toronto’s not
Mike KoreenJune 27, 2022, 9:31 AM Sportsnet
Welcome to the biggest week of the Toronto Blue Jays’ season to date.
The struggling Blue Jays entertain the surging Boston Red Sox for three games before welcoming the Tampa Bay Rays to Rogers Centre for a rare five-game series. The Tampa series includes a doubleheader, meaning Toronto plays eight games in seven days.
Welcome to the biggest week of the Toronto Blue Jays’ season to date.
The struggling Blue Jays entertain the surging Boston Red Sox for three games before welcoming the Tampa Bay Rays to Rogers Centre for a rare five-game series. The Tampa series includes a doubleheader, meaning Toronto plays eight games in seven days.
The AL East rivals, along with the Cleveland Guardians, are all in a tight race for three wild-card spots. Boston enters the week 1.5 games up on Toronto and Tampa, with Cleveland two back of the Red Sox.
The Boston three-gamer marks Toronto's second home series in a row against a powerful AL East opponent. The major league-leading New York Yankees took two of three at Rogers Centre before the Blue Jays hit the road last week.
Here is a look at the Blue Jays-Red Sox series.
PROBABLE PITCHERS
Monday, 7:07 p.m. ET / 4:07 p.m. PT (Sportsnet): Toronto RHP Kevin Gausman (5-6, 3.19 ERA) vs. Boston RHP Connor Seabold (0-0, 0.00)
Tuesday, 7:07 p.m. ET / 4:07 p.m. PT (Sportsnet ONE): Toronto RHP Ross Stripling (4-2, 3.08 ERA) vs. Boston RHP Michael Wacha (6-1, 2.34 ERA)
Wednesday, 7:07 p.m. ET / 4:07 p.m. PT (Sportsnet): Toronto RHP Alek Manoah (9-2, 2.05 ERA) vs. Boston RHP Nick Pivetta (8-5, 3.28 ERA)
LATEST ON THE BLUE JAYS
The Blue Jays (40-32) come home after a 2-4 road trip against the Chicago White Sox and Milwaukee Brewers.
While Toronto remains in a playoff position, the Blue Jays have major pitching concerns
Jose Berrios was bad for a second start in a row on Sunday against Milwaukee, and Yusei Kikuchi has been terrible all of June -- his next turn on Thursday has to be considered in serious doubt.
The problem is there aren’t great options on the farm. Thomas Hatch and Casey Lawrence are possibilities and there’s also the chance of using an opener.
Whatever the case, Toronto needs to make decisions for Thursday’s series opener versus Tampa and for one game of a Saturday doubleheader against the Rays.
To make matters worse, the Blue Jays bullpen is short-handed (Yimi Garcia, Trevor Richards and Julian Merryweather are on the injured list) and running on fumes after back-to-back short outings by Kikuchi and Berrios this weekend.
At least there is some good news for the Blue Jays, though. They have three starters coming off good outings going against the Red Sox in Gausman, Stripling and Manoah.
LATEST ON THE RED SOX
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Welcome to the biggest week of the Toronto Blue Jays’ season to date.
The struggling Blue Jays entertain the surging Boston Red Sox for three games before welcoming the Tampa Bay Rays to Rogers Centre for a rare five-game series. The Tampa series includes a doubleheader, meaning Toronto plays eight games in seven days.
The AL East rivals, along with the Cleveland Guardians, are all in a tight race for three wild-card spots. Boston enters the week 1.5 games up on Toronto and Tampa, with Cleveland two back of the Red Sox.
The Boston three-gamer marks Toronto's second home series in a row against a powerful AL East opponent. The major league-leading New York Yankees took two of three at Rogers Centre before the Blue Jays hit the road last week.
Here is a look at the Blue Jays-Red Sox series.
PROBABLE PITCHERS
Monday, 7:07 p.m. ET / 4:07 p.m. PT (Sportsnet): Toronto RHP Kevin Gausman (5-6, 3.19 ERA) vs. Boston RHP Connor Seabold (0-0, 0.00)
Tuesday, 7:07 p.m. ET / 4:07 p.m. PT (Sportsnet ONE): Toronto RHP Ross Stripling (4-2, 3.08 ERA) vs. Boston RHP Michael Wacha (6-1, 2.34 ERA)
Wednesday, 7:07 p.m. ET / 4:07 p.m. PT (Sportsnet): Toronto RHP Alek Manoah (9-2, 2.05 ERA) vs. Boston RHP Nick Pivetta (8-5, 3.28 ERA)
LATEST ON THE BLUE JAYS Blue Jays in 60: Berrios struggles again, as Tellez lifts Brewers over his former team Current Time 0:00 / Duration 1:00
The Blue Jays (40-32) come home after a 2-4 road trip against the Chicago White Sox and Milwaukee Brewers.
While Toronto remains in a playoff position, the Blue Jays have major pitching concerns
Jose Berrios was bad for a second start in a row on Sunday against Milwaukee, and Yusei Kikuchi has been terrible all of June -- his next turn on Thursday has to be considered in serious doubt.
The problem is there aren’t great options on the farm. Thomas Hatch and Casey Lawrence are possibilities and there’s also the chance of using an opener.
Whatever the case, Toronto needs to make decisions for Thursday’s series opener versus Tampa and for one game of a Saturday doubleheader against the Rays.
To make matters worse, the Blue Jays bullpen is short-handed (Yimi Garcia, Trevor Richards and Julian Merryweather are on the injured list) and running on fumes after back-to-back short outings by Kikuchi and Berrios this weekend.
At least there is some good news for the Blue Jays, though. They have three starters coming off good outings going against the Red Sox in Gausman, Stripling and Manoah.
LATEST ON THE RED SOX MLB Highlights: Red Sox 8, Guardians 3 Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:45
The Red Sox (42-31) extended their win streak to seven with a weekend sweep of Cleveland. They have won seven series in a row and are 19-4 in June.
The strong play has allowed Boston to overtake Toronto for second place in the AL East.
It’s amazing to think that the Red Sox were 10-19 on May 8 after losing a fifth game in a row. Since then, they have not lost a series.
However, the schedule now gets more challenging with 20 of Boston’s next 23 against the Yankees, Blue Jays and Rays.
On Sunday, the Red Sox punished Cleveland pitchers with 15 hits and a whopping 11 walks.
Trevor Story drove in a pair of runs to give him 500 for his career.
MONDAY’S MYSTERY MAN
Prospect Connor Seabold will make his season debut on the mound Monday for the Red Sox.
Seabold was pulled after one inning in his start for triple-A Worcester on Friday. He has allowed two runs in his past 21 innings.
The right-hander made one spot start in the majors last September for Boston, allowing two runs in three innings.
MARQUEE MATCHUP
Two days before Canada Day, the Blue Jays will go with their second-year ace (Manoah) against a Victoria native (Pivetta) in the series finale.
The Red Sox right-hander has gone at least seven innings in each of his last three starts (all wins), giving up a total of just four runs while striking out 17 and walking six.
However, the Canadian got roughed up in two starts against the Blue Jays in April, not making it through five innings in either outing.
Manoah is tied for the major league lead in wins and has been a joy to watch all season. He pitched seven innings of shutout ball against the Red Sox in a win on April 28.
STAYING HOME
Red Sox closer Tanner Houck and outfielder Jarred Durran will be on the restricted list for the series because they are not vaccinated against COVID-19.
Infielder Yolmer Sanchez will be summoned from Worcester and travel to Toronto.
Houck will throw batting practice against Durran at Fenway Park during the Toronto series, AP reported.
SEASON SERIES
The Blue Jays are 5-2 against the Red Sox this year, winning three of four at home and two of three at Fenway Park in a pair of April series.
Of course, those games occurred well before the Red Sox hit their stride.
UP NEXT
The Rays series features the first Canada Day game in Toronto since 2019.
After Sunday’s series finale, the Blue Jays cross the continent for a trip to Oakland and Seattle.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 27, 2022 13:15:38 GMT -5
Boston Red Sox roster moves: Connor Seabold, Yolmer Sánchez called up to replace Tanner Houck, Jarren Duran (unvaccinated) in Toronto Updated: Jun. 27, 2022, 1:35 p.m. | Published: Jun. 27, 2022, 1:24 p.m.
By Chris Cotillo | ccotillo@MassLive.com
The Red Sox will make a series of roster moves before Monday’s game against the Blue Jays, replacing two key players who will miss the next three games with two newcomers from Triple-A.
Closer Tanner Houck and outfielder Jarren Duran, who are both unvaccinated against COVID-19 and are ineligible to travel to Canada, will be placed on the restricted list. They won’t receive pay or service time for the next three days. To fill their roster spots, the Red Sox plan to call up right-hander Connor Seabold (who will start Monay) and infielder Yolmer Sánchez from the WooSox, a source confirmed. Enter your email address here to receive the Fenway Rundown email newsletter in your inbox every Wednesday.
Seabold, who has posted a stellar 5-1 record and 2.09 ERA in11 starts at Worcester this season, will make his second career major league start. The 26-year-old made a spot start last fall (Sept. 11) against the White Sox and allowed two runs in three innings. He’s starting in place of Garrett Whitlock, who remains on the injured list with a hip injury. Right-hander Kutter Crawford would have been a logical candidate to start Monday but he’s unvaccinated and not eligible to pitch.
Sánchez is a veteran of seven major league seasons (all with the White Sox) and was the American League Gold Glove award winner at second base in 2019. He signed a minor league deal with the Red Sox over the winter and has hit .253 with eight homers and an .805 OPS in 68 games for the WooSox. Sánchez will likely start Wednesday at second base so that manager Alex Cora can give Trevor Story a day off.
The Red Sox will be making plenty of roster moves in the coming days and weeks. A handful of key contributors, including Whitlock, fellow starters Nate Eovaldi and Chris Sale, outfielder Kiké Hernández and relievers Matt Barnes and Josh Taylor remain on the injured list. Houck and Duran will spend the next three days working out at Fenway Park and are expected to meet the team in Chicago.
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