Boston Red Sox (36-26) @ Toronto Blue Jays (32-31)
Clay Buchholz (4-3, 3.82) @ Jo-Jo Reyes (2-4, 4.16)
7:07 PM EDT | Rogers Centre (Toronto, ON)
TV: NESN, MLB Network RADIO: WEEI 850, WWZN 1510
INJURY REPORT
Boston: Bobby Jenks, left back tightness (Placed on the 15-day on DL June 8); Rich Hill, left elbow sprain (Placed on the 15-day DL on June 3, retroactive to June 2) Franklin Morales, left forearm strain (Placed on the 15-day DL on May 29, retroactive to May 26); Darnell McDonald, sore left quad (Placed on the 15-day DL on May 26); Daisuke Matsuzaka, sprained elbow (Placed on the 15-day DL on May 17, transferred to the 60-day DL on June 3); Junichi Tazawa, right elbow surgery (placed on the 60-day DL on March 26)
Toronto: John McDonald, right hamstring strain (Placed on the 15-day DL on May 20, retroactive to May 27); Jesse Litsch, right shoulder impingement (Placed on the 15-day DL on May 20, retroactive to May 19); Jesse Carlson, left rotator cuff (Placed on the 60-day DL on March 29); Dustin McGowan, torn right rotator cuff (Placed on the 60-day DL on March 12)
GAME NOTES
Tonight the Red Sox take their six-game winning streak into Toronto for the first game of a weekend series. Pitching tonight for the Blue Jays is the now confusing Jo-Jo Reyes. Reyes had gone a major league record-tying 28 starts without a win but then pitched his first career complete-game victory against the Indians, and followed that up with a victory against the Orioles. I guess he was due. The Red Sox got to Jo-Jo early and often on April 16; Reyes lasted only three innings, surrendering seven hits, four earned runs, one home run and a career high five walks while striking out three. Right handers have hit Reyes for a .312 average and a .909 OBP, while lefties have only hit. 237 against him with a .707 OBP. Mike Cameron has had the most success against Reyes; he is 3-8 against him with two home runs and five RBI.
Clay Buchholz takes the mound for the Red Sox tonight. Buchholz hasn’t been lights out this year but he hasn’t been terrible. In his last start against Oakland, Buchholz took a no decision despite surrendering season highs in runs allowed (six) and earned runs (five), allowing eight hits and two walks with five strikeouts. This will be Clay’s second outing against the Blue Jays this season; on April 15 he pitched 5+ innings, giving up three runs on three hits with a career high five walks. Watch out for Aaron Hill and Adam Lind against Buchholz: Lind is hitting .346 against Buchholz (9-26) with two home runs and Hill is hitting .296 (8-27) with a home run against him. Michael Bowden is back in the majors, and Luis Exposito was sent down to make room on the roster for him.
Lineups
Red Sox
- Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
- Dustin Pedroia, 2B
- Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
- Kevin Youkilis, 3B
- David Ortiz, DH
- Jed Lowrie, SS
- Carl Crawford, LF
- Mike Cameron, RF
- Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C
Toronto
- Mike McCoy, SS
- Corey Patterson, LF
- Jose Bautista, RF
- Adam Lind, DH
- Juan Rivera, 1B
- J.P. Arencibia, C
- Aaron Hill, 2B
- Rajai Davis, CF
- Jayson Nix, 3B
Fun Facts
– With last night’s win, the Red Sox swept the Yankees in New York for the second time this season, the first time since 1912 they achieved that feat.
– The Red Sox sit atop the Major Leagues in doubles (131), extra-base hits (214), total bases (957), slugging percentage (.440) and RBI (304, tied with the Cardinals).
– On June 10, 1938, Red Sox reliever Lefty LeFebvre homered in his first plate appearance. He would not hit another home run in his career.
– And for today’s Totally Untrue Fun Fact: After Joe Carter was traded to the Blue Jays, he quickly adopted the renowned politeness of Canadians. When he approached the plate in the bottom of the ninth inning in Game 6 of the 1993 World Series, Carter turned to Philadelphia Phillies catcher Darren Daulton and asked, “Would you mind terribly if I hit a home run?” Daulton, in true Philly tradition, hurled a stream of expletives at Carter. Carter then hit his historic walk-off home run to win the World Series. Turning to Daulton, Carter said, “I’m sorry,” then began jumping for joy.