Boston @ Toronto preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 11, 2019 ) Boston 0, Toronto 8

On a night when Major League Baseball's all-time single season home run record was set, the Boston Red Sox continued to stagger to the finish line, managing a pair of singles in a lopsided loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. The visiting Red Sox will try to halt a five-game losing streak and avoid a three-game sweep in the series finale against the Blue Jays on Thursday night.

Defending World Series champion Boston was blanked for the second time in three days and has scored nine runs during the five-game slide to all but bury its fleeting wild-card hopes. The Red Sox also saw their majors-best streak of 159 games with an extra-base hit snapped just two shy of tying the second-longest mark in baseball history. Blue Jays designated hitter Rowdy Tellez swatted his second homer in as many nights to give him seven in 11 games this season against the Red Sox. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who was 5-for-30 in his previous nine games, collected three RBIs as Toronto won its second in a row following a seven-game slide.

TV: 7:07 p.m. ET, NESN (Boston), TVA, Sportsnet (Toronto)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Red Sox RH Jhoulys Chacin (3-10, 5.60 ERA) vs. Blue Jays RH Clay Buchholz (1-4, 5.31)

Chacin was picked up by the Red Sox following his release from Milwaukee and served as the opener in his Boston debut against the New York Yankees on Friday, striking out four batters and not allowing a run or a hit in his two-inning stint. The 31-year-old Venezuelan, who went 0-7 over his last seven starts with the Brewers, also tossed a scoreless inning of relief against the Yankees on Sunday. Chacin, who will be making his first appearance against the Blue Jays, has held Brandon Drury to 1-for-5.

Buchholz, who spent 10 seasons with Boston and won a career-high 17 games in 2010, withstood a shaky first two innings and wound up charged with four runs (three earned) over six frames in a loss at Tampa Bay last time out. He tossed 5 2/3 innings of two-run ball in a no-decision versus Houston in his previous turn and permitted two runs over six innings in a loss at Seattle on Aug. 25. Mitch Moreland is 4-for-8 with a home run against Buchholz, who will face his former team for the first time.

WALK-OFFS

1. Blue Jays rookie 2B Cavan Biggio set a franchise record with his 11th straight stolen base to start his career.

2. Red Sox 3B Rafael Devers has hit safely in four straight overall and is batting .426 (29-for-68) versus Toronto this season.

3. Blue Jays RF Randal Grichuk is two RBIs shy of matching his career high of 68 from 2016.

PREDICTION: Blue Jays 6, Red Sox 4