Blue Jays at Red Sox
Pitching was a concern for the Boston Red Sox when they began the season and that has not changed after surrendering 37 runs – 18 on Sunday – while losing four of their last five contests. Joe Kelly goes to the mound to try and change the trend when the Red Sox host the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday to begin a three-game series between American League East rivals.
Hanley Ramirez has led a potent offense for Boston, recording his seventh and eighth homers Sunday, and slugger David Ortiz comes into the series after resting one game. The Blue Jays continue their see-saw season after getting swept in three games at Tampa Bay, which followed three straight wins over Baltimore at home. All-Star Jose Bautista (sore right shoulder) is expected to avoid the disabled list, but has missed the last five games for Toronto and is day-to-day. The Blue Jays’ other big-time slugger, Edwin Encarnacion, is in a slump, going 1-of-16 with seven strikeouts in the last five contests.
TV: 6:10 p.m. ET, SNET-1 (Toronto), NESN (Boston)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Blue Jays RH Aaron Sanchez (1-2, 5.14 ERA) vs. Red Sox RH Joe Kelly (1-0, 4.08)
Sanchez has struggled in his first three career starts, allowing 14 hits and 12 walks over 14 innings while managing to limit the damage to eight runs against. The 22-year-old Californian made 24 relief appearances that encompassed 33 innings in 2014 with a 1.09 ERA and 27 strikeouts to go along with nine walks. Sanchez permitted no runs and one hit in 5 2/3 innings against the Rays last year, and compiled a 0.60 ERA in road games.
Kelly was cruising along while giving up one run the first five innings in his last start at Tampa Bay before surrendering four in the sixth without retiring a batter. The UC Riverside product, acquired from St. Louis last season, had allowed three runs in 12 2/3 innings in his first two outings with 11 strikeouts. Russell Martin (3-for-6, homer) and Bautista (2-for-3, homer) have hit well against Kelly, who permitted two runs in six innings versus Toronto last year.
WALK OFFS
1. The Blue Jays won seven of nine games at Boston and were 12-7 overall against the Red Sox in 2014.
2. Boston 3B Pablo Sandoval belted his first homer of the season Sunday and had half of his eight RBIs the last two days.
3. Toronto’s rookie 2B Devon Travis saw his 11-game hitting streak end Sunday, but he is 7-for-19 in his last two series and boasts 16 RBIs in 18 games.