The Boston Red Sox kick off a six-game homestand Monday night, welcoming the Toronto Blue Jays to Fenway Park for a three-game series.
The Sox dropped three of four to the Jays last week, with R.A. Dickey outlasting Clay Buchholz in Wednesday’s 6-4 win. Those starters will toe the rubber in the series opener, and David Ortiz and Xander Bogaerts hope to see their success against the knuckleballer Dickey continue.
Ortiz, who is 5-for-15 in his career against Dickey, launched a three-run blast off him in the first inning last week before Dickey settled down and allowed just one more run to improve to 2-0 against Boston this season. But it’s Bogaerts who really has the right-hander’s number this year, going 4-for-6 with two doubles against him.
Bogaerts was given the day off during the Red Sox’s 3-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday, but he’ll return to the lineup Monday, batting eighth and manning the hot corner. Mike Napoli, who also sat out Sunday’s contest, also will return to the diamond, batting cleanup and playing first base.
David Ross will start behind the plate for Buchholz, who is 1-2 with a 5.60 ERA against Toronto in three starts this season.
Check out both teams’ full lineups below.
Boston Red Sox (48-57)
Brock Holt, CF
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
David Ortiz, DH
Mike Napoli, 1B
Daniel Nava, LF
Shane Victorino, RF
Stephen Drew, SS
Xander Bogaerts, 3B
David Ross, C
Clay Buchholz, RHP (5-6, 5.50 ERA)
Toronto Blue Jays (56-50)
Jose Reyes, SS
Melky Cabrera, LF
Jose Bautista, DH
Juan Francisco, 1B
Colby Rasmus, CF
Munenori Kawasaki, 3B
Josh Thole, C
Ryan Goins, 2B
Anthony Gose, RF
R.A. Dickey, RHP (8-10, 4.04 ERA)
