Red Sox's Porcello tries to prevent sweep vs. Jays (Sep 27, 2017)
BOSTON -- Rick Porcello's last outing really couldn't have started any worse.
Four batters, four runs -- all on Scooter Gennett's grand slam in Cincinnati on Friday, the latest dip in the roller coaster season for the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner.
On Wednesday night, with a chance to help the Red Sox move closer to the AL East title, the veteran right-hander faces the Toronto Blue Jays in the finale of a three-game series at Fenway Park.
Porcello (10-17, 4.55 ERA) forged his way through four innings at Cincinnati, allowing no more runs in a game his team came back and won. He comes into this start leading the major leagues in losses and the AL lead with 229 hits allowed as he fights for his spot in Boston's postseason rotation -- should the Red Sox hang on to win the division.
Last year, Porcello, who faces Marco Estrada on Wednesday, was 22-4 and gave up only 193 hits as the Red Sox gave him more run support -- 6.67 runs per game -- than any starting pitcher in the major leagues.
A look at his past four starts show the ups and downs of his season. He allowed seven runs on 10 hits in 5 1/3 innings against Toronto, then two runs in 12 1/3 innings over his next two starts before his first-inning nightmare in Cincinnati.
When he faced the Blue Jays again Wednesday, Porcello will try to put a stop to Boston's two-game losing streak. The first-place Red Sox lead the second-place New York Yankees by three games with five to play.
"We know where we stand, we know what's ahead of us," Red Sox manager John Farrell said after Boston's 9-4 loss to Toronto on Tuesday. "We've gotta go out and take care of business tomorrow with Rick on the mound."
Porcello is 1-2 with a 3.79 ERA against the Blue Jays this season, 8-9 with a 4.83 in 20 career games (19 starts).
Estrada (10-8, 4.70 ERA) is having a strong finish to his season. He brings a three-start winning streak and eight-start unbeaten run (5-0) into his Wednesday night start.
The right-hander recently avoided imminent free agency by signing a one-year, $13 million contract for 2018.
He has faced the Red Sox three times this season but hasn't earned a decision despite allowing only two earned runs in 17 1/3 innings with scoreless outings of six and seven frames. He is 4-4 with a 3.15 ERA in 13 games (11 starts) against the Red Sox and 3-2, 3.30 in eight appearances (six starts) at Fenway Park.
Asked after Estrada threw seven inning of one-run ball Friday against the Yankees if the effort would help the pitcher heading into the offseason, manager John Gibbons quipped: "Probably not much. He's already signed his contract. If he hadn't, it might have been more important."
Following Toronto's victory at Boston on Monday, winning pitcher Brett Anderson said: "You don't want a team to clinch in your faces."
Now the Jays won't have that happen to them, not in Boston, anyway. They could be part of some drama in the Bronx over the weekend if this thing gets closer.
The Blue Jays took two out of three from the Yankees in Toronto last weekend.
Toronto's Jose Bautista is 17-for-48 (.354) with five homers and 12 RBIs lifetime against Porcello, while Darwin Barney is 7-for-17 (.412) and Kevin Pillar 10-for-33 (.303). On the flip side, Michael Saunders is 1-for-16 (.063), Russell Martin 3-for-26 (.115) and Kendrys Morales 7-for-36 (.194).
Dustin Pedroia, who missed the first two games of the series with left knee inflammation, is 13-for-29 (.448) against Estrada, but the other Boston numbers are fairly ugly.
Brock Holt is 1-for-16 (.063), Xander Bogaerts 2-for-24 (.083), Andrew Benintendi and Christian Vazquez are each 1-for-10, Mitch Moreland is 3-for-16 (.188), Jackie Bradley Jr. 3-for-14 (.214) and Chris Young 2-for-9 (.222).
Boston right fielder Mookie Betts won't play Tuesday night due to left wrist inflammation. He is day-to-day. Infielder Eduardo Nunez also is likely to be sidelined due to a right knee injury.
