Red Sox at Blue Jays
The Boston Red Sox aren't hitting at the same rate they were with David Ortiz in the middle of the lineup last season, but they are developing new strengths. The Red Sox will try to ride their pitching staff to another series win when they visit the Toronto Blue Jays for the second of a three-game series on Saturday.
Boston's strength is in the bullpen this season, and the relief corps came through with five scoreless innings to close out Friday's series opener and give the offense enough time to come through for a 7-4 win in 11 innings. The Red Sox entered the series with the third-best bullpen ERA in the majors at 2.92 and continues to be led by closer Craig Kimbrel, who struck out one in a perfect 11th inning on Friday to increase his American League-leading save total to 23. The Blue Jays are still having trouble finding their strength and dropped six of their last eight to fall five games under .500 (37-42). Toronto faces a tough task on Saturday as the Red Sox send ace Chris Sale to the mound to counter veteran lefty Francisco Liriano.
TV: 1:07 p.m. ET, MLB Network, NESN (Boston), Sportsnet (Toronto)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Red Sox LH Chris Sale (10-3, 2.77 ERA) vs. Blue Jays LH Francisco Liriano (4-3, 5.46)
Sale leads the majors with 155 strikeouts and fanned nine over 6 1/3 innings against Minnesota in a win on Monday. The Florida Gulf Coast product went at least eight innings in each of his previous two appearances and tops the AL with a total of 113 2/3 innings pitched. Sale enjoyed one of his best starts of the season at Toronto on April 20, when he struck out a season-high 13 and scattered four hits over eight scoreless innings.
Liriano snapped a three-start winless streak at Kansas City on Sunday, when he allowed two runs and six hits in six innings. The Dominican Republic native managed just two strikeouts in that outing but compensated by generating 10 ground balls. Liriano enjoyed his only scoreless outing of the season against Boston on April 19, when he struck out six and yielded four hits in 5 1/3 frames.
WALK-OFFS
1. Red Sox 3B Deven Marrero hit safely in each of his last four games to lift his batting average from .156 to .183.
2. Toronto SS Troy Tulowitzki homered three times in his last six games.
3. Boston LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (knee) is with the team and will throw a bullpen session on Saturday.