The Toronto Blue Jays are in a bit of a fight as September winds down.
After watching their AL East cushion shrink to just a single game on Tuesday, they’ll look to steady themselves on Wednesday against the Boston Red Sox.
Getting out of their losing slump doesn’t get any easier with Garrett Crochet on the mound for Boston. The 25-year-old southpaw has emerged as one of the American League’s best starters this season, turning his overpowering fastball-slider combination into one of the toughest matchups for hitters.
Crochet enters Wednesday’s game tied for the American League lead in wins with a 17-5 record, boasts a stellar 2.69 ERA, and leads all of Major League Baseball with 249 strikeouts across 197.1 innings.
Against the Blue Jays this season, Crochet is 1-1 with a 2.18 ERA across 12.2 innings pitched. The Blue Jays have struggled against the Red Sox ace in the past, with Crochet owning a 3-1 record with a 1.31 ERA, 18 strikeouts, holding Toronto hitters to a .151 batting average through 20.2 innings pitched.
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Watch Blue Jays vs. Red Sox on Sportsnet
The Toronto Blue Jays’ drive to clinch the AL East continues Wednesday as they face the Boston Red Sox. Catch the action on Sportsnet or Sportsnet+, starting at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT.
Toronto will hand the ball to Max Scherzer as he looks to flip the script after his worst performance of the season. The Kansas City Royals roughed up the three-time Cy Young winner in his last outing, as he allowed seven earned runs in less than an inning.
It has been a tough stretch for the 41-year-old, having allowed four earned runs in three of his last four starts. Scherzer’s season ERA has climbed to 5.06, and he is grappling with persistent home run issues, compounded by back tightness that he’s been dealing with.
Complicating matters is the out-of-town scoreboard, with the Yankees and Chicago White Sox continuing their series after New York was able to get a 3-2 comeback win on Tuesday.
Yankees ace Max Fried (18-5, 2.92 ERA) will get the ball against White Sox opener Fraser Ellard (0-2, 4.50 ERA). A Yankees win, coupled with a Blue Jays loss, would tie the two rivals atop the division standings with just a few games remaining.
Toronto does hold the tiebreaker over the Yankees and sits just four wins (or Yankees losses) away from clinching the division, but a recent skid — five losses in their past six games — has added pressure to every game.
One potential bright spot for the Blue Jays comes in the form of reinforcements. Anthony Santander, who has been sidelined for the majority of the season with a shoulder injury, was activated ahead of Tuesday’s game but was not in the starting lineup. He could be available for the first time in months.
The switch-hitting outfielder brings much-needed power and balance to the lineup that needs to find a way to put up runs. His return to form would be crucial for a Blue Jays lineup that has struggled to produce since Bo Bichette went down with an injury on Sept. 9, as the team has scored four or fewer runs in eight of the 14 games he’s missed.
Wednesday’s matchup is a high-stakes affair. With the Red Sox eager to play spoiler and the Yankees still lurking, the Blue Jays’ margin for error is razor thin. To maintain their divisional title hopes, they will need Scherzer to bounce back in a big way and try to find timely offensive production.
“We have five games left and a one-game cushion to try and win the division,” Jays manager John Schneider told reporters after Tuesday’s loss. “I don’t want to say we’re playing with house money; we’re not. The goal is to win the division. These games are important.”
