Toronto @ Boston preview
Fenway Park
Last Meeting ( May 11, 2010 ) Toronto 1, Boston 6
The Toronto Blue Jays have established themselves as one of the best road teams in baseball this season. To be considered contenders, however, they’ll have to prove they can beat the league’s heavyweights.
Toronto fell to 0-5 on the season against the Boston Red Sox after its 6-1 setback at Fenway Park on Tuesday night. The Blue Jays will try to salvage the finale of a three-game series at Boston this afternoon.
Tim Wakefield makes the start for the Red Sox. After a dismal start to the season Wakefield was exiled to the bullpen to make room for Tuesday’s winning pitcher, Daisuke Matsuzaka.
But after Josh Beckett’s early-season struggles continued in a loss to the New York Yankees last week, the Red Sox decided to have Beckett throw a side session before making his next start. Beckett originally was scheduled to pitch Friday at Detroit, but he now will miss his next start completely with back spasms.
Wakefield is 0-1 with a 6.04 ERA. His struggles have been magnified by the opposition’s running game. With the veteran knuckleballer on the mound, opposing teams have run wild on the Red Sox.
In one start, the Texas Rangers stole nine bases in six innings against the combination of Wakefield and catcher Victor Martinez.
Although Toronto is not much of base-stealing team, Wakefield’s presence may change their game plan.
Shaun Marcum starts for the Blue Jays. He is 1-1 with a 3.14 ERA and has not allowed more than four runs in any game this season.
Despite pitching seven strong innings against the Red Sox earlier in the year, Marcum didn’t figure in the decision in a 2-1 Boston victory.
The Blue Jays have not only struggled against the Red Sox but they are also 1-2 against Tampa Bay and winless in three games against the Los Angeles Angels.
They’ve done their best work against the weaker teams of the American League and, despite their back-to-back losses at Boston, the Blue Jays are still 12-6 on the road this season.
Toronto also learned Tuesday that its three-game series against the Phillies, originally scheduled for the Rogers Centre in June, will be moved to Philadelphia.
Baseball commissioner Bud Selig, citing security issues for the G20 Summit - which will bring many world leaders to a convention center in Toronto - decided to relocate the games.
The Blue Jays will bat last in the games but Toronto fans will be unable to watch the return of former ace Roy Halladay to the city.