Blue Jays at Red Sox
Rafael Devers is enjoying a banner offensive season by just about any measure in 2019, although a disproportionate amount of his production has come at the expense of the Toronto Blue Jays. The 22-year-old third baseman attempts to continue swinging a hot bat versus the Blue Jays on Tuesday, when the Boston Red Sox host the second contest of their four-game series against their American League East rival.
Boston nearly let an early six-run advantage slip away on Monday before holding on for a 10-8 victory, scoring at least 10 runs against Toronto for the third time this season and the 11th occasion overall. Devers, who is the only qualified AL player batting at least .325 with 15 homers and 60 RBIs (.326, 17, 66), finished 2-for-5 and drove in two runs in the series opener and is hitting .478 with six blasts and 21 RBIs in 13 games versus the Blue Jays this season. Toronto, which opened the second half by dropping two of three on the road against the New York Yankees, doubled its run output from that series in Monday's loss. Eric Sogard has recorded at least one hit in each of the Blue Jays' four post-break contests, going 7-for-17 with a home run and a double.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network, Sportsnet, TVA (Toronto), NESN (Boston)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Blue Jays RH Jacob Waguespack (1-0, 5.00 ERA) vs. Red Sox RH Andrew Cashner (9-3, 3.83)
Waguespack notched his first career victory against Boston on July 3, yielding three runs and six hits over five innings after entering the game in the second frame in relief of opener David Phelps. The former 37th-round draft pick made his major-league debut May 27 at Tampa Bay, permitting three runs - two earned - while registering seven strikeouts in four frames. Waguespack posted a 2-6 record and 5.30 ERA in 12 appearances (11 starts) with Triple-A Buffalo this season.
Cashner will make his debut with Boston three days after being acquired from Baltimore for a couple of prospects. The 32-year-old, who has allowed a total of one run and six hits over his last two turns, has yielded fewer than two earned runs in four of his last five outings - including one on July 6 at Toronto, where he allowed one run and three hits in seven frames. Cashner is 1-1 with a 7.20 ERA in two career starts at Fenway Park but 3-2 with a 2.49 ERA in eight turns against Toronto.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Red Sox are 36-15 versus the Blue Jays since the beginning of the 2017 season and have won 13 of their last 17 at home against them.
2. Toronto OF Billy McKinney was recalled from Triple-A Buffalo prior to the series opener and finished 2-for-4 with a two-run homer.
3. Boston has recorded at least one extra-base hit in each of its last 108 games - the longest active such streak in the majors and the fifth-longest run by an AL club since 2000.