The Boston Red Sox will hit the road and take on the Toronto Blue Jays for a three-game series North of the border. The Red Sox are coming in off a series loss to the Yankees in which they dropped three out of four and were outscored 15-8. The Blue Jays are coming in off being swept by the Rangers in a four-game series outscored 35-9. This season head-to-head, the Red Sox are 7-3 and have outscored Toronto 57-54.
Boston Red Sox (74-73) vs. Toronto Blue Jays (80-67)
Game 1:
Date: Friday, September 15
Time: 7:07 pm EST
Broadcast: NESN
Game 2:
Date: Saturday, September 16
Time: 3:07 pm EST
Broadcast: MLB Network/NESN
Game 3:
Date: Sunday, September 17
Time: 1:37 pm EST
Broadcast: MLB Network/NESN
Probable Starting Pitchers
Game 1: Brayan Bello (12-8, 3.68 ERA) vs. Jose Berrios (10-10, 3.63 ERA)
Bello kicks off the series for the Red Sox, making his 26th start of the season. He posts a 4.26 FIP, a 1.28 WHIP, a 1.2 HR/9, a 2.4 BB/9, and a 7.4 K/9. In his last five starts, Bello is 4-1 with a 3.14 ERA, a 1.36 WHIP, and a 6.6 K/9. In his career against Toronto, he has made four starts, going 1-2 with a 7.62 ERA, a 2.31 WHIP, and a 9.0 K/9; this season against the Blue Jays, he has made one start going five innings, giving up two earned runs on six hits, he walked one and struck out five picking up the win. Bello will face Jose Berrios, who is making his 30th start for the Blue Jays. He posts a 4.15 FIP, a 1.19 WHIP, a 1.2 HR/9, a 2.6 BB/9, and an 8.4 K/9. He has struggled against the Red Sox in his career, making 13 starts and going 2-6 with a 4.34 ERA, a 1.34 WHIP, and a 9.4 K/9. He has pitched in three games against the Red Sox this season, going 1-1 with a 6.35 ERA, a 1.41 WHIP, and a 9.5 K/9.
Game 2: Chris Sale (6-4, 4.88 ERA) vs. Chris Bassitt (14-8, 3.83 ERA)
Sale is back and gets the middle game of the series after the Red Sox decided to give him a few extra days of rest. Sale is making his 18th start of the season, posting a 3.90 FIP, a 1.20 WHIP, a 1.4 HR/9, a 2.6 BB/9, and an 11.0 K/9. Sale in his last five starts is 1-2 with a 5.87 ERA, a 1.43 WHIP, and an 11.0 K/9. In his career against Toronto, Sale is 8-5 in 19 appearances and 16 starts; he posts a 2.76 ERA, a 0.95 WHIP, and a 10.2 K/9; he hasn’t faced the Blue Jays this season. Sale will face Chris Bassitt for Toronto. Bassitt is making his 31st start of the season, posting a 4.47 FIP, a 1.20 WHIP, a 1.3 HR/9, a 2.8 BB/9, and an 8.1 K/9. In his career against the Red Sox, he is 1-0 in two starts, posting a 1.93 ERA, a 0.50 WHIP, and a 10.3 K/9; this season against the Red Sox, he has made one start going seven innings, giving up one earned run on one hit; he walked three and struck out six.
Game 3: Nick Pivetta (9-9, 4.56 ERA) vs. Hyun Jin Ryu (3-3, 2.93 ERA)
Pivetta will get the finale, making his 36th appearance and 14th start of the season. Pivetta, when he starts, posts a 5.81 ERA, a 5.12 FIP, a 1.43 WHIP, a 2.03 HR/9, a 3.65 BB/9, and an 11.07 K/9. Overall, he posts a 4.28 FIP, a 1.21 WHIP, a 1.6 HR/9, a 3.5 BB/9, and an 11.8 K/9. In his career against Toronto, Pivetta has made 14 appearances and 12 starts, going 2-4 with a 5.57 ERA, a 1.51 WHIP, and an 8.4 K/9; this season against the Blue Jays, he has appeared in three games, making one start going 1-0 with a 4.50 ERA, a 1.36 WHIP, and a 9.0 K/9. Pivetta will face Hyun Jin Ryu, who is making his ninth start of the season. Ryu posts a 4.23 FIP, a 1.05 WHIP, a 1.4 HR/9, a 2.0 BB/9, and a 7.4 K/9. In his career against the Red Sox, he is 2-3 in seven starts, posting a 4.46 ERA, a 1.17 WHIP, and a 7.7 K/9; he has not faced the Red Sox yet this season.
Red Sox vs. Blue Jays Batting Leaders
Series Prediction
This won’t be an easy series for the Boston Red Sox, and the pitching matchups don’t align well. Both teams are coming in off a series in which they both struggled; the Red Sox managed to win a game while the Blue Jays were swept. I’ll take one out of three in this series, with the win coming in the first game, but I could see two out of three with Bello going in the finale and if things break right for Boston.
