GAME #138, TORONTO BLUE JAYS AT BOSTON RED SOX

[Bear]

BLUE JAYS V RED SOX

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2017, 7 PM AT FENWAY PARK

TV:  NESN, SNET

TORONTO, (63-74)............................................................................BOSTON, (77-60)

TORONTO:

J.A. HAPP, LHP, 6-10, 3.96 ERA, 110K

J.A. Happ is set to face the Red Sox for the second time in as many
starts.  During his last outing, Happ allowed just one run on four hits and
four walks over six innings.  Prior to that he allowed five earned runs in
back-to-back starts.

BOSTON:

RICK PORCELLO, RHP, 9-15, 4.45 ERA, 160K

The sinkerballer will face the Blue Jays for the second consecutive time.
He turned in a strong outing in Toronto last week, allowing six hits and a run
over 6 1/3 innings while picking up his fifth win in his last six starts.

Porcello, Happ to square off in series opener

Gregor Chisholm

The Red Sox will look to use this three-game series against the last-place Blue Jays at Fenway Park to try to extend their 3 1/2-game lead in the American League East as they head down the stretch.

Boston swept Toronto last week and is 10-3 in the season series.

Right-hander Rick Porcello will try to beat the Blue Jays for the second time in a week when he starts Monday's opener. In the start last week at Rogers Centre, Porcello held the Jays to a run on six hits over 6 2/3 innings while walking two and striking out seven. He also previously faced the Blue Jays on April 19, and was saddled with the loss despite allowing just three unearned runs over seven innings.

The Blue Jays will counter with veteran lefty J.A. Happ, who allowed one run over six innings in a no-decision against Boston last week.

Toronto is 25-36 against the AL East and has lost seven of its last 10 games against the division. That is by far the lowest winning percentage of any team within the AL.

THREE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THIS GAME

• Red Sox reliever Carson Smith is nearing the end of his very long road to recovery, and it's possible he will be activated prior to this series opener. Smith appeared in just three games for Boston last season prior to undergoing Tommy John surgery.

• Toronto third baseman Josh Donaldson enters this game on a tear. He has 16 home runs over his last 34 games, a stretch that dates back to July 27, and is the most in the Major Leagues over that same span. Donaldson is a career .303 hitter (10-for-33) with two extra-base hits vs. Porcello.

• This could be a good matchup for Boston outfielder Chris Young to shake out of his recent slump, not to mention his season-long struggle against lefty pitchers. Young has experienced the most success vs. Happ of anyone in the Red Sox's lineup, going 5-for-16 with two homers and five RBIs.

http://m.mlb.com/news/article/20170903252178630/porcello-happ-to-square-off-in-series-opener/?game_pk=492161

[Bear]

Red Sox vs. TOR:

Nuñez 3B,
Betts RF,
Benintendi CF,
Ramirez DH,
Travis 1B,
Bogaerts SS,
Young LF,
Vazquez C,
Marrero 2B,

Porcello RHP

[longgame]

Amazingly this becomes a huge game for the Sox now after the pitiful performance in the Bronx.  They've owned the Jays, they're at home, they've had their hats handed to them, it's a must win to keep from a downward spiral.  The Jays, who I would have counted on to be our cushion to make it to 1st, could now knock us out with a good series. 

[SeaBeachFred]

Amazingly this becomes a huge game for the Sox now after the pitiful performance in the Bronx.  They've owned the Jays, they're at home, they've had their hats handed to them, it's a must win to keep from a downward spiral.  The Jays, who I would have counted on to be our cushion to make it to 1st, could now knock us out with a good series.

If Farrell once again puts Pukegaerts and Young in the lineup our chances of winning slide down to about 15-20% because you know Hanley will still be in it and he now sucks badly, and our stupid manager would never or could never think outside the box and give a shot to Sam Travis to get some new blood and life into this moribund team.  As I said back in June, this could really be a shitty team.  And when the $%^& is Betts going to stop feeling sorry for himself and for the fact that Papi is no longer with us by showing some drive, leadership and efen balls.  He bears a major share of our problems by shitting the bed  this whole season.  He owes the team and fans at least one damn good month.

[ipot]

Happ is a good pitcher.  His 2017 numbers are deceiving.  Ahh...what does it matter? Good pitchers, bad ones - the offense is back to "The 5 Hit Wonders." 

[longgame]

Red Sox vs. TOR:

Nuñez 3B,
Betts RF,
Benintendi CF,
Ramirez DH,
Travis 1B,
Bogaerts SS,
Young LF,
Vazquez C,
Marrero 2B,

Porcello RHP

So Nunez, Beni and Vaz may get hits.  Is Farrell throwing in the towel now?  A little early.  But seriously, Betts, Ramirez, Travis, Bogey, Young and Marrerro - no reason to expect anyone of them to get a hit. 

[Bill-806]

As DAD would say, "SON, the first 3 innings will speak VOLUMES" !!!! thumb_u iono slap rofl

[BoSoxFanNY]

Yankees come back to win.
DAMN - they are getting on a roll.

SOX NEED to win tonight.

[markj]

Game over already.

[ojdidit]

O's were up 3-0 and NYY came back for a 7-3 win. Sox are down 3-0.....raise you thumbs if you feel Sox can come back.

[Sea Dog 23]

And I was thinking Porcello would be a savior for the staff in Sept.  I'll look again.

[BoSoxFanNY]

OMG -
Sox are losing to the Jays 4-2 going into the bottom of the 4th inning.

NEED TO FIND A WAY TO WIN this game.

[Schloicka]

Travis tonight is doing what Sox hitters do. He got 2 hits with no one on base then came up with a runner on 3rd and popped out to rf.

[markj]

This game has become a joke just like the team.

[BoSoxFanNY]

OMG -
Jays 7 - Sox 2.

WHAT has happened to this team????????

They will be only 2.5 games up on the Yankees after this loss.

(Starting to feel like September of 2011 . . .)

Feel SICK!