Kelly Shoppach Gets Another Start Behind the Plate As Red Sox Open Series With Blue Jays

Jarrod Saltalamacchia has been struggling as of late, but luckily for the Red Sox, that slump has coincided with a rash of opposing left-handed starting pitchers.

That will be case again on Friday night against the Blue Jays, and that will allow Bobby Valentine to once again move Kelly Shoppach into the lineup hitting seventh as Boston opens a three-game set against Aaron Laffey and Toronto.

Shoppach has started the last two nights — both against left-handers — after he hit a pinch hit home run against the White Sox on Tuesday night.

The veteran backstop is making his 25th start of the season against a left-hander, and he's hitting .237 with three home runs and eight RBIs against southpaws.

Josh Beckett gets the start for Boston on the mound.

Here are the lineups for the series opener.

Red Sox
Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
Carl Crawford, LF
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Cody Ross, RF
Will Middlebrooks, 3B
Kelly Shoppach, C
Mike Aviles, SS
Pedro Ciriaco, DH

Josh Beckett, P

Blue Jays
Anthony Gose, RF
Cody Rasmus, CF
Edwin Encarnacion, 1B
Adam Lind, DH
J.P. Arencibia, C
Kelly Johnson, 2B
Yunel Escobar, SS
Travis Snyder, LF
Yan Gomes, 3B

Aaron Laffey, P