Toronto @ Boston preview
Fenway Park
Last Meeting ( May 10, 2010 ) Toronto 6, Boston 7
Despite back-to-back embarrassing losses to the New York Yankees last weekend, the Boston Red Sox have finally hit their stride at Fenway Park. A perennially strong team at home, Boston has won five of its last seven games at Fenway - including Monday night’s 7-6 win over the Toronto Blue Jays.
The two teams resume their three-game series Tuesday night at Boston with Daisuke Matsuzaka facing Toronto's Dana Eveland.
It is an important start for Matsuzaka (1-1) as the Red Sox look to make up ground in the AL East. Trailing the division-leading Tampa Bay Rays by six games, Matsuzaka could play a huge role in any Boston postseason hopes.
Thus far he’s been awful. Matsuzaka started the season in an extended spring training before making a series of rehab starts at Triple-A Pawtucket. In the minors he was unhittable. In the majors, it’s been a different story.
Matsuzaka has made two starts with the Red Sox and allowed 11 earned runs in 10 innings for a 9.90 ERA. Boston managed to win his second start by outscoring the Los Angeles Angels, 11-6.
But Matsuzaka can’t seem to stay healthy nor regain the form that led him to an 18-3 record in 2008. He made just 12 starts last year going 4-6 with a 5.76 ERA.
Making Matsuzaka’s performance even more important is the news that Josh Beckett’s next start will be pushed back two days.
Beckett was as slated to pitch Wednesday’s series finale but after his meltdown on Friday night against the Yankees when he allowed nine runs on nine hits and plunked two batters, the Red Sox decided to have their Opening Day starter throw a sideline session before his next outing.
Boston was also without outfielder J.D. Drew on Monday. Drew was a late scratch because of dizziness and is questionable for the remainder of the series.
Help could be on the way. Center fielder Mike Cameron went 1-for-3 in a rehab start at Pawtucket on Monday and may return when the Red Sox begin a weekend series at the Detroit Tigers.
Monday’s loss was just the fifth in 17 road games on the season for the Blue Jays.
Toronto, which leads the majors in home runs, got another blast from Jose Bautista - his seventh this season - but the Blue Jays could not solve the Boston bullpen. Red Sox relievers retired 13 of the final 14 batters of the game including a perfect ninth inning from closer Jonathan Papelbon.
Eveland is 3-1 on the season but was roughed up by the Red Sox in a no-decision earlier in the season. He allowed seven runs on eight hits in just three innings and Boston pulled out a 13-12 decision.
Boston has won all four meetings between the two teams this season.