The Toronto Blue Jays close out their three-game series against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park today. They won their previous game with a score of 6-1. This pushed the Blue Jays' record to 7-5, while the Red Sox dropped to 6-6.
Toronto will send their All-Star pitcher Kevin Gausman to start the proceedings against Boston's Tanner Houck. After this matchup, the Blue Jays are off to Houston to face the Astros. Meanwhile, the Red Sox will travel to Florida to battle the Tampa Bay Rays.
Match Details
Fixture: Toronto Blue Jays vs Boston Red Sox.
Date & Time: Thursday, April 21; 1:35 PM EDT.
Venue: Fenway Park, Boston, Massachusetts.
Toronto Blue Jays Preview
Toronto lit up Boston starter Nick Pivetta in yesterday's game with a five-run second inning. Their starting ace Nick Berrios was dominant against the Red Sox batter pack with six strikeouts and only one earned run in six innings of play. They've seemingly found their groove, and with Boston's rotation on the backend for today's match, expect them to repeat their performance from yesterday.
Key Player - Kevin Gausman
Kevin Gausman's start to his career north of the border has been cold. The All-Star pitcher is currently 0-1 with a 4.22 ERA in his two starts. What's surprising is that even though he currently has a high ERA, he has struck out 14 batters and hasn't issued a walk so far.
"Kevin Gausman’s final line: 5.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 9 K. 83 pitches, 67 strikes...ERA from 5.40 to 4.22. #BlueJays" - @ Scott Mitchell
Gausman had a decent start in his most recent appearance against the Yankees by only surrendering two earned runs and striking out nine. Look for him to turn things around and hopefully build up momentum in this game.
Toronto Blue Jays Predicted Lineup
Starting Pitcher - Kevin Gausman
- Raimel Tapia, RF
- Bo Bichette, SS
- Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 1B
- Lourdes Gurriel, LF
- Zack Collins, DH
- Matt Chapman, 3B
- Alejandro Kirk, C
- Bradley Zimmer, CF
- Santiago Espinal, 2B
Boston Red Sox Preview
The Red Sox simply failed to add runs to the scoreboard in their recent clash with the Blue Jays. They out-hit the Jays 10-9, but also had a team LOB of 11. The biggest hope for the Red Sox would be Kevin Gausman continuing to struggle on the mound. Gausman has a record of 4-8 with a 4.53 ERA in 20 career appearances against the Red Sox.
Key Player - Rafael Devers
Rafael Devers currently leads the Red Sox with 16 base hits with a .308/.321/500 slash line. He also has two homers, four doubles, and seven RBIs so far.
"Rafael Devers pulling out his best Michael Phelps impression today to avoid the tag @Starting9." - @ Barstool Sports
Consistency is key in the game of baseball. Look for him to attempt and help his team by being all over the bases today.
Boston Red Sox Predicted Lineup
Starting Pitcher - Tanner Houck
- Enrique Hernandez, CF
- Rafael Devers, DH
- Xander Bogaerts, SS
- Alex Verdugo, LF
- Trevor Story, 2B
- Bobby Dalbec, 1B
- Christian Arroyo, 3B
- Jackie Bradley Jr., RF
- Christian Vazquez, C
Toronto Blue Jays vs Boston Red Sox Prediction
This enticing matchup offers a clash of Titans in the American League East. It will boil down to batting firepower for the Toronto Blue Jays as their starter hasn't found his stride yet. For the Boston Red Sox, the biggest problem is driving in runs this season. We'll give the Blue Jays a slight edge for having the more well-rounded battery crew. Toronto win, 5-3.
Where to follow Blue Jays vs Red Sox
Watch: SNET (Blue Jays), NESN (Red Sox)
Listen: SN590 (Blue Jays), WCCM 1490 AM/103.7 FM and WEEI 93.7 (Red Sox)