A pair of AL East rivals continue a critical series on the diamond up in Beantown. The Toronto Blue Jays are on the road as they play the middle game of a three-game with the Boston Red Sox Wednesday night. Toronto dropped the finale of a four-game road set with the Yankees as they were beaten 4-2 Sunday afternoon. Boston dropped the rubber game of their three-game set with Baltimore as they were knocked off 5-3 in the Little League Classic in Williamsport, Pennsylvania Sunday night. This article was published prior to the opening game of the series at Fenway Park Tuesday night.
Toronto took the first three games of their set with the Yankees but missed a chance at the sweep by losing the finale Sunday in the Bronx. The Blue Jays entered Tuesday third in the AL East race, 8.5 games behind the Yankees for the division lead. They were tied for the final two wild card spots in the American League with Seattle, half a game behind the Rays for the top spot and 2.5 games clear of Baltimore to remain on the right side of the cut line. On Sunday, Toronto got two of their five hits from Bo Bichette while Whit Merrifield hit his seventh homer of the year in a losing effort. Alek Manoah didn’t factor in the decision as he threw six innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits with two walks and eight strikeouts. Adam Cimber (9-5) took the loss in relief as he allowed two runs on two hits with no walks and two strikeouts in one inning of work.
Jose Berrios is on the moun d for his 25th start of the season for the Blue Jays in this contest. He comes in 9-5 with a 5.39 ERA, a 1.368 WHIP, 32 walks, 117 strikeouts and a league-high 26 homers allowed in 128.2 innings of work this year. Berrios earned the win in his last start, which came Thursday on the road against the Yankees. He threw 6.2 innings, allowing one run on six hits with one walk and nine strikeouts over 6.2 innings in a 9-2 Blue Jays triumph. In his last three starts, Berrios is 1-1 with an 8.79 ERA, a 1.74 WHIP, five walks and 11 strikeouts over 14.1 innings of work. Berrios makes his 10th career start against the Red Sox in this contest. He comes in 1-5 with a 3.86 ERA, a 1.36 WHIP, 16 walks and 56 strikeouts over 53.2 innings of work. Berrios is 1-3 with a 5.73 ERA, a 1.909 WHIP, nine walks and 25 strikeouts over 22 innings in four career starts at Fenway Park.