Blue Jays at Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox look to build off a successful road trip when they begin a six-game stay at Fenway Park on Friday with the first of three against the visiting Toronto Blue Jays. After winning their last two games of their previous homestand, the Red Sox won five of six on the road, capped by a 9-4 triumph at Minnesota on Wednesday.
"Now we go home and we know we have to play better at home," manager Alex Cora told reporters after the win. "That's the next step. The next challenge. We have, what, six games, go over there and start dominating at Fenway." The homestand will be followed by two days off and then a much-anticipated two-game series with the New York Yankees in London. The Blue Jays avoided a sweep by taking the finale of a four-game series with the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday. Billy McKinney's two-run homer in the bottom of the 10th was the difference in the 7-5 decision as Toronto ended a seven-game home slide.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, Sportsnet-1, TVA Sports (Toronto), NESN (Boston)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Blue Jays RH Trent Thornton (2-5, 4.36 ERA) vs. Red Sox LH Chris Sale (3-7, 3.49)
Thornton spun 6 2/3 scoreless innings while striking out seven in an impressive win at Houston on Sunday. The outing lowered his road ERA to 2.98 in eight starts, during which the North Carolina product has held opponents to a .217 average. He will be facing the Red Sox for the first time.
After going 1-7 with a 4.35 ERA through May, Sale is 2-0 with a 0.82 mark in three June starts. He has at least 10 strikeouts in four consecutive outings and in eight of the last nine. His early-season struggles included a rocky four-inning start versus Toronto on April 9, which left him 7-4 with a 2.67 ERA in his career against the Blue Jays.
WALK-OFFS
1. Toronto activated RHP Ken Giles (elbow) from the 10-day injured list and optioned RHP Justin Shafer to Triple-A Buffalo.
2. Red Sox 3B Rafael Devers left Wednesday's win with a hamstring injury but hopes to avoid the injured list.
3. Boston 2B Brock Holt is batting .400 with 11 RBIs and 11 runs scored in 15 games this month.