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The Toronto Blue Jays will face the Boston Red Sox in a series finale at Rogers Centre in Toronto on Thursday, April 28. The game will conclude a four-game series between the rivals.
Wins between AL East rivals are hard to come by. If the Blue Jays can take the series, they will maintain pace in the standings with the New York Yankees. If Boston can upset the Jays at home, they will close the gap between themselves and the Tampa Bay Rays for third place in the division.
The last series between these teams ended in a narrow 2-1 series victory for Toronto. The Red Sox took game one by a score of 2-1, but the Blue Jays roared back 6-1 in game two and 3-2 in game three.
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Starting pitcher Kevin Gausman told the tale for the Jays in game three as he pitched eight innings and recorded as many strikeouts without allowing any runs. He was credited with an earned run that closer Jordan Romano allowed in the ninth inning after letting up a single and being pulled from the game. With both teams carrying heavy-hitting batting orders, this series will be decided by effective starting pitching and efficient bullpen usage.
Match Details
Fixture: Boston Red Sox @ Toronto Blue Jays
Date & Time: Saturday April 28, 3:07 PM. EDT.
Venue: Rogers Centre, Toronto.
Boston Red Sox Preview
The Red Sox have had a rough go of it in April. They currently sit in fourth place in their division with a losing record of 7-10. Their schedule won't get any easier as they face teams like the Los Angeles Angels, Chicago White Sox, and Atlanta Braves next.
The Red Sox haven't been able to string together three consecutive wins so far. If their woes continue, they run the risk of falling several games behind the Rays.
The Red Sox need this series victory for their morale and for their standings position. If they're going to pull it off, they need bats like Trevor Story to come alive. The 29-year-old free-agency catch has only managed eleven hits over forty-seven at-bats this season.
Boston's Key player: Trevor Story
Story has been underwhelming for Red Sox fans this April. His .294 on-base percentage combined with his .298 slugging percentage creates a meager .592 OPS. His numbers fall well-below Boston expectations for a player who finished eleventh in MVP voting just two years ago.
"Before everyone goes all in on Trevor Story. Check out his home road splits and remember the story of Tyler Chatwood who was gonna be good once he got out of the Rocky Mountain Air. He wasn’t." - @ Danny Rockett
Some Twitter users have speculated that Story's below-average statistics are due to Boston's lower altitude. He's used to playing in Colorado, where the thin mountain air tends to carry balls up and out of Coors Field. But Boston fans need not worry: Story is a good hitter. He'll figure it out.
Boston Red Sox Predicted Lineup
Starting pitcher: Garrett Whitlock (RHP)
- Trevor Story (RHB), 2B
- Alex Verdugo (LHB), LF
- Xander Bogaerts (RHB), SS
- J.D. Martinez (RHB), DH
- Enrique Hernandez (RHB), CF
- Jackie Bradley Jr. (LHB), RF
- Bobby Dalbec (RHB), 1B
- Christian Arroyo (RHB), 3B
- Christian Vazquez (RHB), C
Toronto Blue Jays Preview
The Blue Jays are off to a stellar start this season. As expected, the club is setting the AL East's pace. They sit atop the division, tied with the Yankees, with a record of 11-6. Several players have proven pivotal for the Toronto roster.
Kevin Gausman has been a second ace for Toronto with a 2.89 ERA and twenty-two punchouts over 18.2 innings. Closer Jordan Romano has also proven himself in clutch scenerios with eight saves already. At this rate, the 29-year-old Canadian will place himself among elite closers like Josh Hader and Liam Hendricks.
Toronto's Key Player: Bo Bichette
Bo Bichette has not had an April on-par with his overall performance last year. He has struckout in 28% of his 77 at-bats this season. His whiff rate is in the bottom 24% of the league, meaning he's been swinging and missing more than the average player. What's more, he's batting just .208 and getting on base in less than a third of his plate appearances. That's not what you'd expect from the former 2021 AL hits leader.
"Gonna continue defending Bo Bichette until the cows come home. He's a great player who has warts like a lot of players do. His numbers will be there at the end of the year, I remain very confident of that." - @ Josh Goldberg
If Bichette can pick things up for the Blue Jays in this series against the Red Sox, expect a Toronto win.
Toronto Blue Jays Predicted Lineup
- George Springer (RHB), RF
- Bo Bichette (RHB), SS
- Vladimir Guerrero (RHB), DH
- Zack Collins (LHB), C
- Matt Chapman (RHB), 3B
- Raimel Tapia (LHB), LF
- Santiago Espinal (RHB), 2B
- Gosuke Katoh (LHB), 1B
- Bradley Zimmer (LHB), CF
Toronto Blue Jays vs Boston Red Sox Prediction
The TBlue Jays will defeat the Red Sox in this series 3-1. Boston will suffer from the absence of starting pitcher Tanner Houck due to vaccine regulations.
Meanwhile, the Toronto Blue Jays will take advantage of being at home for the first time in a week and build on their streak of series wins. The Jays have yet to lose a series this season, and Boston's cold roster will allow them to continue the momentum.
Where to follow the Toronto Blue Jays vs Boston Red Sox game?
Watch: Sportsnet, MLB TV, NESN.
