Red Sox at Blue Jays lineups: TFW a split would feel like a sweep

Is it a bad sign when one of your starters says, following another terrible outing, that he’s in the midst of the worst season of his career? And is it a bad sign that he’s not the first guy bumped from rickety rotation?

Those were rhetorical questions. A day after not one but two great starting pitcher performances, the Sox turn again to one of their increasingly disappointing offseason acquisitions. Unlike even Martín Pérez, who was recently demoted to reliever, Garrett Richards has barely had any passable moments whatsoever this year, and with Chris Sale just about to return, his perpetually short leash is likely about to get cut. Today we see if there’s any fight left in the dog.

The Blue Jays start Hyun-jin Ryu, another lethal top-of-line starter for a Toronto team that’s only four games back of Boston to start today, and surging. So are the Yankees, and the prospect of a fourth place finish is suddenly not so foreign. If the Sox have felt like they were coasting through most of the year, August has burnt off that feeling.

How real? Well, J.D. Martinez and Jarren Duran were on the COVID reserve list, but they’re back, but now Alex Verdugo is on the paternity list, leaving the Sox short still a bit short-handed for today’s game. The Jays will be without Bo Bichette, who fouled a couple balls off his shins yesterday. We’ll take that trade. Also Hunter Renfroe is batting second and Martinez is batting fifth. Sure! Whatever works. Please work!