Red Sox Weekend Warmup: Boston Hosts Pivotal AL East Clash

The Red Sox didn’t leave the West Coast with an ideal finish, going 2-4 on the trip. But Boston has a picture-perfect opportunity in place to open up a 10-game homestand at Fenway Park.

The Red Sox welcome the Blue Jays to town starting Friday night as Toronto enters the series opener with a two-game lead over Boston in the American League Wild Card race. That means a lot can change for both division rivals in a matter of three games over the weekend as the regular season quickly approaches its end.

Boston finished a red-hot month in July going 15-8 to lead all of Major League Baseball throughout the stretch and more importantly, refusing to allow its playoff window to shut close. It took an uncharacteristic off day from the Red Sox bullpen to prevent a series victory in Seattle against the Mariners in their most recent series. Nevertheless, there’s one critical factor that’ll soon be working to Boston’s advantage: health.

Throughout the entirety of the season, Red Sox manager Alex Cora has been challenged, arguably more than any other skipper across the league, in playing adapter. Boston hasn’t had stability in its pitching rotation, its middle infield, and at times, its bullpen. Yet, the Red Sox haven’t fallen off yet with 54 games left to play.

Red Sox Odds (Aug. 4)*
To win World Series: +6500
To win American League: +3000
To win AL East: +9000
To make playoffs: +370

Boston didn’t do justice by its playoff odds across the board after taking just two wins in six games against the Giants and Mariners on the road.

The front office elected not to pull a blockbuster trigger before Tuesday’s trade deadline — an approach that was hinted at on various occasions. It’s clear the Red Sox envision their core to keep their foot on the gas and keep the ship afloat as Boston awaits some key returns. Therefore, it wasn’t surprising that the deadline activity was at a minimum.

The Red Sox welcomed infielder Luis Urías from the Brewers and designated Christian Arroyo for assignment to make roster space. That’ll provide some handy defensive depth and versatility, especially at a time when wins will quickly become more valuable to Boston.

*Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

Probable pitchers
— Friday, Aug. 4 (7:10 p.m. ET vs Blue Jays): James Paxton, LHP (6-2, 3.34 ERA) vs. Alex Manoah, RHP (2-8, 5.87 ERA)

— Saturday, Aug. 5 (4:10 p.m. ET vs Blue Jays): TBD vs. José Berríos, RHP (8-7, 3.31 ERA)

— Sunday, Aug. 6 (1:35 p.m. ET vs Blue Jays): TBD vs. Chris Bassitt, RHP (10-6, 4.00 ERA)

Storylines to watch
1. Does season-long upper hand come into play against Toronto?
The Red Sox have handled business when facing teams within the division, which wasn’t the case last year when it dragged Boston to a dead-last finish.

They’re 16-11 against the AL East, having won six of their last seven, but the Red Sox are even better when taking on the Blue Jays, specifically — perfect, in fact. That’s right, Boston has gone a perfect 7-0 in matchups with Toronto, outscoring the Blue Jays, 49-29.

That momentum is critical. The Red Sox aren’t only hosting a Blue Jays team that’s struggled to score runs and failed to beat them seven consecutive times, they’re hosting a Toronto team battling injuries.

Boston doesn’t have to worry about Toronto’s All-Star shortstop Bo Bichette, who landed on the 10-day injured list Wednesday and has batted .357 this season versus Red Sox pitching. Not to mention, the Blue Jays are losers in four of their last five entering the series.

2. Upcoming additions from within still nearing late-season return
Boston didn’t add much at the deadline, but the Red Sox still have plenty to look forward to — at the right time, too.

The pitching staff — both rotation and bullpen — is owed a major round of applause for holding the fort down in a commendable fashion. Whether it’d be welcoming unconventional roles like being an opener or transitioning to the bullpen, Boston’s arms have done everything to keep its October hopes alive.

And those efforts may soon be rewarded.

Key pitchers Chris Sale, Tanner Houck and Garrett Whitlock along with All-Star infielder Trevor Story are all working toward their respective returns before Game 162. And there’s no question that when healthy, that bunch is more than capable of providing just the impact that could push the Red Sox over the top.

Sale and Story have partaken in rehab assignments with Triple-A Worcester, while Houck and Whitlock tossed bullpen sessions Tuesday.

There couldn’t be a better time for the Red Sox to welcome them all back, right?

3. How Alex Cora handles pitching staff in final two games vs. Blue Jays
Once again, Cora and the Red Sox will need to think quickly on their feet.

Boston hasn’t announced its starters for Games 2 and 3 against Toronto, but Cora did suggest an opener could be the likely route for Saturday. That’s become the norm at this point.

“We’ll play it just like we did in San Francisco,” Cora said before Friday’s game. “Most likely an opener tomorrow and then we’ll go from there.”

Cora specifically named Chris Murphy as a possible candidate to start Game 2.

This provides Boston’s bullpen with A) yet another challenge and B) a fantastic shot at redemption following the series finale meltdown in Seattle. Again, the Red Sox have been able to lean on their bullpen arms on countless occasions before, so there’s no reason to lose any trust in the crew that helped bring the team to this point.