Red Sox vs. Blue Jays lineups: They’re not the Astros!

The Red Sox don’t play the Astros (for once) when they host the Blue Jays tonight at Fenway Park behind Garrett Richards (7:10 p.m., NESN).

Right now the Sox sit one game behind Tampa Bay for the AL East lead, with the Yankees and Blue Jays six and six and a half games back, respectively. Now that they’re playing a division rival, losses could sting a little bit more than those to the Astros—and wins might be easier to come by after whatever last night’s game was.

Richards continues to do his Richards thing of getting into and out of trouble, and will have his hands full tonight as everyone does with Toronto’s bat-heavy lineup. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is tops in the AL for WAR no matter where you look, basically (for hitters, and sometimes overall), so that might be what we in the business call a “tough out.” Ross Stripling, whose name belies his veteran savvy, starts for the Blue Jays. He like Richards, but worse.

The lineup is the exact same as it was yesterday, which is wonderful. By the way, I’m on vacation for the next week so other people will be doing the lineups. Do not trust them. They will deceive you.

Update (6:29 PM):

Xander Bogaerts has been scratched with a sore left knee. He should be back in a day or two.