Welcome to the biggest week of the Toronto Blue Jays’ season to date.
The struggling Blue Jays entertain the surging Boston Red Sox for three games before welcoming the Tampa Bay Rays to Rogers Centre for a rare five-game series. The Tampa series includes a doubleheader, meaning Toronto plays eight games in seven days.
The AL East rivals, along with the Cleveland Guardians, are all in a tight race for three wild-card spots. Boston enters the week 1.5 games up on Toronto and Tampa, with Cleveland two back of the Red Sox.
The Boston three-gamer marks Toronto’s second home series in a row against a powerful AL East opponent. The major league-leading New York Yankees took two of three at Rogers Centre before the Blue Jays hit the road last week.
Here is a look at the Blue Jays-Red Sox series.
PROBABLE PITCHERS
Monday, 7:07 p.m. ET / 4:07 p.m. PT (Sportsnet): Toronto RHP Kevin Gausman (5-6, 3.19 ERA) vs. Boston RHP Connor Seabold (0-0, 0.00)
Tuesday, 7:07 p.m. ET / 4:07 p.m. PT (Sportsnet ONE): Toronto RHP Ross Stripling (4-2, 3.08 ERA) vs. Boston RHP Michael Wacha (6-1, 2.34 ERA)
Wednesday, 7:07 p.m. ET / 4:07 p.m. PT (Sportsnet): Toronto RHP Alek Manoah (9-2, 2.05 ERA) vs. Boston RHP Nick Pivetta (8-5, 3.28 ERA)
LATEST ON THE BLUE JAYS
The Blue Jays (40-32) come home after a 2-4 road trip against the Chicago White Sox and Milwaukee Brewers.
While Toronto remains in a playoff position, the Blue Jays have major pitching concerns
Jose Berrios was bad for a second start in a row on Sunday against Milwaukee, and Yusei Kikuchi has been terrible all of June — his next turn on Thursday has to be considered in serious doubt.
The problem is there aren’t great options on the farm. Thomas Hatch and Casey Lawrence are possibilities and there’s also the chance of using an opener.
Whatever the case, Toronto needs to make decisions for Thursday’s series opener versus Tampa and for one game of a Saturday doubleheader against the Rays.
To make matters worse, the Blue Jays bullpen is short-handed (Yimi Garcia, Trevor Richards and Julian Merryweather are on the injured list) and running on fumes after back-to-back short outings by Kikuchi and Berrios this weekend.
At least there is some good news for the Blue Jays, though. They have three starters coming off good outings going against the Red Sox in Gausman, Stripling and Manoah.
LATEST ON THE RED SOX
The Red Sox (42-31) extended their win streak to seven with a weekend sweep of Cleveland. They have won seven series in a row and are 19-4 in June.
The strong play has allowed Boston to overtake Toronto for second place in the AL East.
It’s amazing to think that the Red Sox were 10-19 on May 8 after losing a fifth game in a row. Since then, they have not lost a series.
However, the schedule now gets more challenging with 20 of Boston’s next 23 against the Yankees, Blue Jays and Rays.
On Sunday, the Red Sox punished Cleveland pitchers with 15 hits and a whopping 11 walks.
Trevor Story drove in a pair of runs to give him 500 for his career.
MONDAY’S MYSTERY MAN
Prospect Connor Seabold will make his season debut on the mound Monday for the Red Sox.
Seabold was pulled after one inning in his start for triple-A Worcester on Friday. He has allowed two runs in his past 21 innings.
The right-hander made one spot start in the majors last September for Boston, allowing two runs in three innings.
MARQUEE MATCHUP
Two days before Canada Day, the Blue Jays will go with their second-year ace (Manoah) against a Victoria native (Pivetta) in the series finale.
The Red Sox right-hander has gone at least seven innings in each of his last three starts (all wins), giving up a total of just four runs while striking out 17 and walking six.
However, the Canadian got roughed up in two starts against the Blue Jays in April, not making it through five innings in either outing.
Manoah is tied for the major league lead in wins and has been a joy to watch all season. He pitched seven innings of shutout ball against the Red Sox in a win on April 28.
STAYING HOME
Red Sox closer Tanner Houck and outfielder Jarred Durran will be on the restricted list for the series because they are not vaccinated against COVID-19.
Infielder Yolmer Sanchez will be summoned from Worcester and travel to Toronto.
Houck will throw batting practice against Durran at Fenway Park during the Toronto series, AP reported.
SEASON SERIES
The Blue Jays are 5-2 against the Red Sox this year, winning three of four at home and two of three at Fenway Park in a pair of April series.
Of course, those games occurred well before the Red Sox hit their stride.
UP NEXT
The Rays series features the first Canada Day game in Toronto since 2019.
After Sunday’s series finale, the Blue Jays cross the continent for a trip to Oakland and Seattle.
