The Boston Red Sox are taking their three-game winning streak north of the border for a series with the scuffling Toronto Blue Jays.
The Red Sox will battle the Blue Jays on Tuesday in the opener of a three-game set at Rogers Centre. Second baseman Dustin Pedroia will rest for the first time this season, as Marco Hernandez gets the start at second base batting ninth.
Xander Bogaerts will take Pedroia’s place at the top of the lineup, marking the first time in the shortstop’s career that he’s batting leadoff. Bogaerts has batted from every other spot in the lineup.
Left-hander Brian Johnson, recalled from Triple-A Pawtucket earlier Tuesday, is set to make his second major league start for Boston in place of Eduardo Rodriguez, who is on paternity leave. Johnson was hit in the head with a line drive earlier this spring but has pitched very well for the PawSox.
Christian Vazquez will bat eighth and catch for Johnson against the Jays, who are off to an abysmal 2-10 start. Toronto just placed Josh Donaldson on the disabled list with a calf injury.
Boston will face a tough task in right-hander Marcus Stroman, who sports a 1.76 ERA through two starts and has been a lone bright spot for Toronto.
Here are the lineups for Tuesday’s 7:07 p.m. ET matchup.
RED SOX (8-5)
Xander Bogaerts, SS
Andrew Benintendi, CF
Mookie Betts, RF
Hanley Ramirez, DH
Mitch Moreland, 1B
Chris Young, LF
Pablo Sandoval, 3B
Christian Vazquez, C
Marco Hernandez, 2B
Brian Johnson, LHP (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
BLUE JAYS (2-10)
Kevin Pillar, CF
Jose Bautista, RF
Kendrys Morales, DH
Troy Tulowitzki, SS
Justin Smoak, 1B
Russell Martin, C
Steve Pearce, LF
Darwin Barney, 3B
Devon Travis, 2B
Marcus Stroman, RHP (1-1, 1.76 ERA)
Thumbnail photo via Kim Klement/USA TODAY Sports Images
