Red Sox at Blue Jays
Mookie Betts gave the Boston Red Sox a much-needed offensive boost and a chance to claim a series win when they take on the host Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday in the finale of a three-game series. Betts slugged a leadoff homer and later added a go-ahead two-run shot to lift the Red Sox - who scored a total of four runs during a three-game losing streak - to a 4-3 victory Wednesday.
The star right fielder has reached base in 19 straight games against the Blue Jays while batting .349 with five homers and 23 RBIs. "They're special," Red Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters of players like Betts. "Like the Trouts, the Altuves, the most at-bats they get the better you feel about it. ... I'm glad that he's on my team." Chris Sale has been dominant through his first five starts for Boston but has just one win to show for it and will aim for victory No. 2 when he gets the nod opposite Blue Jays right-hander Marco Estrada. Sale tossed 22 scoreless innings while fanning 35 batters across three starts at Toronto last year.
TV: 7:07 p.m. ET, MLB Network, NESN (Boston), Sportsnet One (Toronto)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Red Sox LH Chris Sale (1-1, 1.86 ERA) vs. Blue Jays RH Marco Estrada (2-1, 5.32)
The major-league leader in strikeouts a season ago with 308, Sale notched double figures in that category for the first time this year in seven solid innings of a hard-luck loss at Oakland on Saturday. He has 41 punchouts and six walks in his first 29 frames while holding opponents to a .206 average. The six-time All-Star is 6-3 with a 2.03 mark in 12 career games (nine starts) versus Toronto.
Home runs continue to be an issue for Estrada, who surrendered three more in five innings but still got the win at Yankee Stadium on Friday. He's allowed nine runs in nine innings over his last two outings after opening the year with back-to-back quality starts. Boston's starting lineup for Wednesday's game is a combined 20-for-123 with 30 strikeouts against Estrada, who has a 3.97 ERA in 14 career encounters (12 starts) with the Red Sox.
WALK-OFFS
1. Red Sox SS Xander Bogaerts (ankle) could be activated Friday.
2. Blue Jays 3B Yangervis Solarte has four homers in his last nine games.
3. Toronto C Russell Martin went 0-for-3 on Wednesday and is 2-for-34 over his last 10 games.