Stroman expected to start as Toronto hosts Boston
Boston Red Sox (45-41, third in the AL East) vs. Toronto Blue Jays (33-54, fourth in the AL East)
Toronto; Thursday, 7 p.m. EDT
PITCHING PROBABLES: Red Sox: Rick Porcello (5-7, 5.07 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 76 strikeouts) Blue Jays: Marcus Stroman (5-9, 3.18 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 81 strikeouts)
LINE: Red Sox favored by 1 1/2 runs; over/under is 10 1/2 runs
BOTTOM LINE:
The Blue Jays are 11-18 against the rest of their division. Toronto has a team on-base percentage of .300, led by Eric Sogard with a mark of .380.
The Red Sox are 18-19 in division play. Boston has slugged .459, good for fourth in in the MLB. Rafael Devers leads the club with a .544 slugging percentage, including 41 extra-base hits and 14 home runs. The Blue Jays won the last meeting 6-3. Jacob Waguespack earned his first victory and Brandon Drury went 3-for-4 with a double, a home run and two RBIs for Toronto. Chris Sale took his eighth loss for Boston.
TOP PERFORMERS: Freddy Galvis leads the Blue Jays with 32 extra base hits and is batting .274. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. has 18 hits and is batting .439 over the last 10 games for Toronto.
J.D. Martinez leads the Red Sox with 18 home runs and has 47 RBIs. Devers is 17-for-33 with seven doubles, two home runs and 11 RBIs over the last 10 games for Boston.
LAST 10 GAMES: Blue Jays: 5-5, .301 batting average, 5.46 ERA, outscored opponents by 12 runs
Red Sox: 4-6, .325 batting average, 7.20 ERA, outscored by eight runs
Blue Jays Injuries: Ryan Tepera: 60-day IL (elbow), Marcus Stroman: day-to-day (chest), Matt Shoemaker: 60-day IL (knee), Elvis Luciano: 60-day IL (elbow), Edwin Jackson: 10-day IL (back), Clay Buchholz: 60-day IL (shoulder), Ryan Borucki: 60-day IL (elbow), Dalton Pompey: 60-day IL (concussion), Devon Travis: 60-day IL (knee).
Red Sox Injuries: Tyler Thornburg: 10-day IL (hip), Brian Johnson: 10-day IL (undisclosed), Heath Hembree: 10-day IL (elbow), Nathan Eovaldi: 60-day IL (elbow), Dustin Pedroia: 60-day IL (knee), Steve Pearce: 10-day IL (back), Mitch Moreland: 10-day IL (quad).
