Toronto Blue Jays (74-73) @ Boston Red Sox (85-61)
Brandon Morrow (9-10, 5.12) @ Tim Wakefield (6-6, 5.03)
7:10 PM EDT | Fenway Park (Boston, MA)
TV: NESN RADIO: WEEI 850, WWZN 1510
GAME NOTES
Having lost nine of their last eleven games, the Red Sox return home to Fenway for their final homestand of the regular season. The Sox find themselves 4 games behind the first place Yankees and only three games ahead of the Rays for the AL Wild Card spot.
Facing the Blue Jays tonight will be Tim Wakefield. Stuck on 199 career wins, Wakefield will yet again try to win his 200th game tonight. Wakefield has had success against the Blue Jays in the past. He is 12-9 with a 3.38 ERA against the Jays at Fenway in his career. Taking the mound for the Blue Jays is Brandon Morrow. Morrow hates Fenway Park – he has a career 9.88 ERA in four career appearances at Fenway.
Reinforcements from the minors will arrive today. The Red Sox called up Junichi Tazawa, Joey Gathright, Lars Anderson, Jose Iglesias and Trever Miller. To make room for Gathright and Miller on the 40-man roster, the Sox moved J.D. Drew to the 60-day DL and designated Nate Spears for assignment.
Lineups
Boston Red Sox
- Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
- Dustin Pedroia, 2B
- Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
- David Ortiz, DH
- Kevin Youkilis, 3B
- Carl Crawford, LF
- Josh Reddick, RF
- Marco Scutaro, SS
- Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C
Toronto Blue Jays
- Mike McCoy, SS
- Eric Thames, LF
- Jose Bautista, RF
- Edwin Encarnacion, DH
- David Cooper, 1B
- Brett Lawrie, 3B
- J.P. Arencibia, C
- Adam Loewen, CF
- Chris Woodward, 2B
INJURY REPORT
Boston: Clay Buchholz, lower back strain (placed on 15-day DL June 19, retroactive to June 17); J.D. Drew, left shoulder impingement, broken finger (placed on 15-day DL July 26, placed on 60-day DL September 13); Josh Beckett, right ankle (day-to-day, may miss one start); Erik Bedard, left knee, left lat (day to day, likely to miss one start)
Toronto: Rajai Davis, torn left hamstring (placed on 15-day DL August 14, transferred to the 60-day DL September 7); Colby Rasmus, jammed right wrist (placed on 15-day DL August 27); Yunel Escobar, sore left elbow (day-to-day); Edwin Encarnacion, sore left shoulder (day-to-day)
Fun Facts
-Marco Scutaro is second in the American League in batting average in September (min. 30 PA) at .417 and is also second in the AL with 13 RBI, trailing only Victor Martinez’s 14.
– On September 13, 1942, Ted Williams drove in a run for a 12th consecutive game, a team record. Williams had 18 RBI over the 12 games.
-And for today’s Totally Untrue Fun Fact: Adam Loewen, the converted starter-turned-outfielder of the Blue Jays, is also the kicker for the Toronto Argonauts, a solid defenseman for the Maple Leafs, and a three-point specialist for the Raptors. In his spare time, Loewen is fond of crocheting.