Toronto Blue Jays at Boston Red Sox

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
TOR	0	0	5	0	0	0	0	0	1	6	15	0
BOS	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0

First pitch at Fenway is 4:10 PM ET on Saturday, and the pitching matchup couldn't be more lopsided on paper. Dylan Cease takes the ball for Toronto sporting a sharp 2.67 ERA of his own, but he's coming off a loss to Tampa Bay where he allowed 3 earned runs over 6.0 innings. Across from him is Sonny Gray, who's been the best pitcher in baseball not named a Cy Young winner yet — this is about as tough a get-right spot as the Jays could draw.

Show fees

FINAL

Spread

ML

Total

Blue Jays(47-56)

WLLLL

6

+1.5-208-100o7.5+130

Red Sox(52-49)

LWPWW

0

-1.5+203-102u7.5-130

Best BetRed Sox -113

Pregame

Sonny Gray on the mound against a Toronto lineup missing three regular outfielders is about as clean a moneyline spot as you'll find. The Red Sox have won 4 of their last 5 and are playing with real momentum under Chad Tracy, while the Blue Jays are trying to snap out of a stretch that's buried them under .500.

Gray is 12-1 with a 2.48 ERA and has been especially nasty at home this year, and Boston nearly traded him at the deadline before deciding a playoff push mattered more than the return. Toronto, meanwhile, is trying to piece together a rotation that's lost Max Scherzer, Patrick Corbin, Jose Berrios, Bowden Francis and Cody Ponce to injury at various points this year — the kind of attrition that turns a contender into a team fighting just to stay above .500.

Dylan Cease

(7-5)·2.28 ERA

Jul 20 vs Rays

L

6.0IP

3ER

7K

1BB

101P

07/25 Lineup

Sonny Gray

(14-2)·2.78 ERA

Jul 19 vs Rays

W

6.0IP

1ER

5K

4BB

91P

07/25 Lineup

Boston's turnaround story is the bigger headline in this series. Interim manager Chad Tracy has the Red Sox playing meaningfully better baseball since taking over, and Boston sits with a hold on a Wild Card spot. Toronto has gone the opposite direction, dropping to 9 games under .500 during a brutal stretch that's included a 12-2 blowout loss to Tampa Bay just days ago.

Toronto Blue Jays

(47-56)

Jul 23Wvs Rays3-1

Jul 22Lvs Rays2-4

Jul 21Lvs Rays2-12

Jul 20Lvs Rays1-7

Jul 19Lvs White Sox0-3

Boston Red Sox

(52-49)

Jul 22Lvs Orioles1-5

Jul 22Wvs Orioles6-3

Jul 21Pvs Orioles0-0

Jul 20Wvs Orioles6-5

Jul 19Wvs Rays6-1

The lone bright spot for Toronto was salvaging the final game of that Rays series with a 3-1 win to avoid the sweep, proof there's still fight left in this roster even with the outfield picture a mess. Jesus Sanchez, Addison Barger and Anthony Santander are all out, which has forced Toronto to lean on a thinner-than-planned lineup against a Red Sox team that's finally getting healthier in some spots, even as its own rotation and middle infield remain banged up.

Toronto Blue Jays

(12)

• 10-Day-ILJesus Sanchez (RF) — Sanchez (ankle) began a rehab assignment in the Florida Complex League on Thursday, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.07/23
• 10-Day-ILJonatan Clase (LF) — Clase (foot) isn't in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Rays.07/22
• 10-Day-ILLenyn Sosa (2B) — Sosa (wrist) resumed hitting in the batting cages earlier this week after experiencing a setback in his rehab program, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.07/17
• 15-Day-ILMax Scherzer (SP) — Blue Jays manager John Schneider indicated Thursday that Scherzer's (back/thumb) next start could be in the majors, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.07/23
• 15-Day-ILPatrick Corbin (SP) — The Blue Jays placed Corbin on the 15-day injured list Thursday with a left teres major strain.07/23
• 60-Day-ILAddison Barger (RF) — Barger (back/elbow) remains shut down from baseball activities, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.07/23
• 60-Day-ILYimi Garcia (RP) — Garcia (elbow/neck/biceps) will throw a live batting practice session Tuesday, Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reports.07/20
• 60-Day-ILAnthony Santander (RF) — Santander is still dealing with discomfort in his surgically repaired left shoulder and recently received another cortisone shot, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.07/17
• 60-Day-ILJoe Mantiply (RP) — Mantiply will undergo arthroscopic surgery to repair some damage in his left knee, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.06/04
• 60-Day-ILJose Berrios (SP) — Blue Jays manager John Schneider said that Berrios underwent full Tommy John surgery Wednesday in addition to having a stress fracture repaired, Hazel Mae of Sportsnet reports.05/27
• 60-Day-ILCody Ponce (SP) — Ponce underwent surgery Friday to repair the ACL in his right knee, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.05/08
• 60-Day-ILBowden Francis (SP) — The Blue Jays placed Francis (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Wednesday.05/08

Boston Red Sox

(12)

• 10-Day-ILIsiah Kiner-Falefa (2B) — Kiner-Falefa (forearm) has been cleared to start his hitting progression with dry swings, Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reports.07/20
• 10-Day-ILMarcelo Mayer (2B) — Mayer (forearm) has been cleared to start his hitting progression with dry swings, Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reports.07/20
• 15-Day-ILRanger Suarez (SP) — Interim manager Chad Tracy said that Suarez (groin/illness) won't be activated from the injured list to start the second game of Wednesday's doubleheader versus the Orioles, Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald reports.07/22
• 15-Day-ILConnelly Early (SP) — Early (elbow) threw off flat ground out to 120 feet Tuesday, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.07/22
• 60-Day-ILGarrett Crochet (SP) — Crochet (lat/shoulder) said Tuesday that he and the Red Sox training staff have no timeline in mind for when he'll be cleared to restart his throwing program, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.07/22
• 60-Day-ILZack Kelly (RP) — The Red Sox recalled Kelly (elbow) from Triple-A Worcester and placed him on the 60-day injured list Tuesday, Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reports.07/21
• 60-Day-ILTrevor Story (SS) — Story (sports hernia) told reporters Monday that "sometime in August is in play" for him to embark on a rehab assignment, Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reports.07/20
• 60-Day-ILTanner Houck (SP) — Houck (elbow) has started throwing two bullpen sessions per week, MLB.com reports.07/17
• 60-Day-ILJohan Oviedo (SP) — Oviedo (elbow) will throw a bullpen session next week, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.07/17
• 60-Day-ILRoman Anthony (LF) — Interim manager Chad Tracy confirmed Thursday that Anthony's (finger) recent follow-up appointment with Dr. Gary Lourie revealed no new information about his injury, and the outfielder will continue to rehab at the Red Sox's complex in Florida through at least the All-Star break, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.07/13
• 60-Day-ILKutter Crawford (SP) — The Red Sox announced June 29 that Crawford (forearm) has been throwing plyometric balls during workouts at the team's spring training facility in Florida, MLB.com reports.07/06
• 60-Day-ILTriston Casas (1B) — Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy said Saturday that Casas (abdomen/knee) has been shut down from hitting due to a wrist issue, Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reports.07/06

Boston's absences are real too — Ranger Suarez, Garrett Crochet, Tanner Houck and Johan Oviedo are all shelved from the rotation, and the middle infield is without Trevor Story, Marcelo Mayer and Isiah Kiner-Falefa. But with Gray on the mound and a roster playing with real confidence under Tracy, the Red Sox look like the far more complete team walking into this weekend.