Red Sox at Blue Jays
The Boston Red Sox will try to continue their hot streak and extend the host Toronto Blue Jays' misery when the teams continue a three-game series Wednesday night. A 15-hit attack led the Red Sox to an 8-7 victory in Tuesday's series opener - their fourth straight win - and dropped the reeling Blue Jays to an MLB-worst 2-11.
Mookie Betts is starting to heat up for Boston after struggling through a bout of the flu earlier in the month, as he had a solo homer among three hits in the first game of the set and is 12-for-22 with four extra-base hits over his last five games. Toronto is off to its worst 13-game start in club history but at least it showed some rare life with the bats in Tuesday's loss, although struggling right fielder Jose Bautista went 0-for-3 to drop his average to .128. Perhaps he can finally get going Wednesday against Rick Porcello, whom Bautista has hit hard (16-for-38 with four homers) and who is coming off a rocky performance versus the Tampa Bay Rays in which he allowed four home runs. The Blue Jays give the ball to lefty Francisco Liriano as he seeks a second straight solid outing following a difficult start to begin the year.
TV: 7:07 p.m. ET, NESN (Boston), Sportsnet One (Toronto)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Red Sox RH Rick Porcello (1-1, 7.56 ERA) vs. Blue Jays LH Francisco Liriano (0-1, 9.00)
Porcello had thrown at least six innings in 20 straight regular-season games - the longest active streak in the majors - but he was knocked out after allowing eight runs in 4 1/3 innings against the Rays. "Mechanically, I'm pretty much the same," he told reporters after the game. "It's just pinpointing the fastball. I'm not locating it well enough to get myself in advantage counts and it's causing me to leave pitches over the plate when I fall behind." The 28-year-old is 3-5 with a 6.23 ERA in nine career games (eight starts) at the Rogers Centre.
After a dismal season debut in which he was only able to retire one batter and gave up five runs, Liriano rebounded with 6 2/3 solid innings against Baltimore on Thursday. He limited the Orioles to two runs on five hits while striking out 10, lowering his ERA at home to 3.00 since joining the Blue Jays midway through 2016. The Dominican Republic native, 33, has a 5.97 ERA in his career against the Red Sox.
WALK-OFFS
1. Red Sox 1B Mitch Moreland ripped his major league-leading 10th double Tuesday.
2. Blue Jays CF Kevin Pillar is 10-for-25 with five doubles and a homer during a six-game hitting streak.
3. Boston 2B Dustin Pedroia was given Tuesday off but is 6-for-11 in his career against Liriano.