Brock Holt is back in the lineup, giving Dustin Pedroia the day off as the Red Sox try to bounce back from two straight losses against the Blue Jays.
Unfortunately for the Red Sox, to do so they'll have to win against the impressive young Marcus Stroman, and to do that, Rubby De La Rosa is going to have to show better control than he did against the Royals. While De La Rosa lasted seven innings, allowing just one run to Kansas City, he walked four and struck out only two. That might have worked against a slumping Royals team, but the Blue Jays showed last night that they're fully capable of punishing a pitcher who can't hit his spots.
Still, if De La Rosa can get his stuff under control, the Red Sox have a red hot David Ortiz in the lineup, and seem to actually be capable of scoring runs today. And while they certainly can't leave with the sweep they may have set their sights on, they can at least earn a split.
First pitch is at 12:37 for some reason with broadcasts on NESN and WEEI.