BOSTON RED SOX NOTES:
No team release available.
TORONTO BLUE JAYS NOTES:
THE LATEST: The Blue Jays were limited to three hits as they were blanked, 5-0, by the Red Sox last night…Marked their 3rd time being shut out this season, tied for the fewest in the AL…All three 0’s have come in the last 10 games, after going 91 games without any…Have slipped to 13-14 in series openers, dropping each of the last four such contests. Toronto has gone 16-11 over its last 27 games and is 19-13 over the last 32…Toronto’s .594 win% over that span (since May 26) is 2nd best in the AL (1st: TB – .606)…Its .593 win% in June (16-11) was 2nd best in the junior circuit, trailing Tampa Bay’s .630 (17-10).
CANADA DAY CONTENT: The Blue Jays have posted an overall record of 16-27 in Canada Day contests…Won last season’s match, 9-2, over the Rays here in Toronto, which was the first Canada Day game in Canada since 2019…Are 14-17 at home (2-7 at Exhibition Stadium; 12-9 at Rogers Centre; 0-1 at Sahlen Field) while 2-10 on the road… Did not play a game on Canada Day in 1981, 1993, and 2020…Have gone 2-5 in their seven July 1 games vs. Boston…The seven games are their most vs. any
opponent on Canada Day. 29 Canadian-born players have suited up for the Blue Jays over the course of the club’s 47 seasons, including a trio of current Blue Birds, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Montreal, QC), Zach Pop (Brampton, ON), and Jordan Romano (Markham, ON).
BUNTING WITH THE BEST: Daulton Varsho went 1-for-3 on a bunt single last night…His six bunt hits lead all AL batters, behind only TJ Friedl (8) for the most in MLB…Has hits in each of the last four games, going 4-for-14 (.286) with two doubles and an RBI.
SANTI SWINGING IT: Santiago Espinal had Toronto’s 1st hit last night as he ripped a single to left field in the 3rd inning…Is now 6-for-20 (.300) with a trio of doubles and a pair of RBI over his last seven contests (.841 OPS).
BO KNOWS BASE HITS: Bo Bichette managed a walk in an 0-for-3 evening… Currently leads the AL with 110 hits, 12 more than any other batter, trailing only Luis Arraez (115) for the most in the Majors…His .316 batting average is percentage points back of Austin Hays (.316) for the AL lead while he sits 3rd in total bases (174), T-6th in SLG (.500), 9th in OPS (.846), T-9th in XBH (35), T-13th in doubles (20), and T-14th in home runs (14).
KIRKY CLICKING: Alejandro Kirk singled to lead off the 8th inning last night, finishing the game 1-for-3…Over his last 29 games, has batted .286 (26-for-91) with three doubles, a homer, and 10 RBI.
THE D-JAYS: According to Sports Info Solutions, Toronto fielders have recorded a total of 44 Defensive Runs Saved, the most in the Majors (2nd: MIL – 40)…The group is led by an MLB-high 20 runs saved in center field – 13 from Kevin Kiermaier who leads all MLB center fielders and seven from Daulton Varsho (T-3rd).
HOME WORK: The Blue Jays are on a nine-game, 10-day homestand (4-3 so far)…Have gone 23-16 this season at Rogers Centre…The .590 win% at home is 4th best in the AL… After this series with the Red Sox, will head out on a six-game trip to take on the White Sox (36-48) and the Tigers (35-46) into the All-Star Break. Toronto batters rank 4th in the AL in home AVG (.259), 4th in home OBP (.331), 7th in home OPS (.737), and 9th in home SLG (.407)…The pitching staff ranks 1st among all MLB teams with 3.28 home ERA, a .211 home opponents’ average, and a 1.11 home WHIP.
KICK-UCHING OFF CANADA DAY: Yusei Kikuchi takes the mound today, coming off his 7th win of the season on Sunday…Tossed 7.0 frames of one-run ball with two hits, two walks, and eight strikeouts…Marked his longest outing as a Blue Jay, and his longest since Aug. 31, 2021 vs. HOU…Threw 101 pitches (63 strikes) on the day, his most in a start since July 28, 2021 vs. HOU (also 101)…Has allowed two runs or fewer in each of his last six starts, pitching to a 2.48 ERA (9 ER/32.2 IP) and a 0.98 WHIP while holding hitters to a .179 average with 11 walks and 37 strikeouts.
STARTING SOMETHING: Toronto pitchers have combined for 40 quality starts, tied for the most in the Majors…The starting rotation ranks 3rd in the Majors in strikeouts (474), 4th in innings pitched (456.1), 8th in ERA (3.96), 10th inAVG (.242), and 13th in WHIP (1.27).
OFFENSIVE THINGS: Toronto batters have notched 745 hits this season, 4th most in the Majors…Are currently 3rd in the AL in team AVG (.261), 5th in OBP (.328), 5th in OPS (.744), 5th in extra-base hits (254), and 6th in SLG (.416).
DIVISIONAL DOWNTURN: The Blue Jays have gone 7-18 against divisional opponents this season (5th among AL East clubs)… Went 43-33 (.566%) in divisional play in 2022, the 2nd-best winning percentage within the division and the club’s best since registering a .581 win% in 2006.
VS. THE RED SOX: All-Time: 320-387
2023: 0-5 Home: 154-195
Home: 0-1 Rogers Centre: 119-146
The Blue Jays last met the Red Sox at Fenway Park in May and were swept in that four-game series… Surrendered 13+ hits and 6+ runs in each of the four contests…Has lost five straight games to the BoSox, their longest skid against them since 2018 (six straight)…Went 16-3 vs. Boston last year, their most wins vs. a single opponent in a season all-time (15 vs. BAL in 2002 and 2010), including an 8-2 record here at Rogers Centre.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had hits in all four games in Boston earlier this year, going 7-for-18 (.389) with a pair of doubles, a pair of home runs, and five RBI (.833 SLG)…In 67 career meetings, is now 75-for-262 (.286) with 18 doubles, 13 home runs, and 56 RBI for a .504 SLG and an .870 OPS.
Bo Bichette went 7-for-16 (.438) in the prior series at Fenway Park, including a double, a homer, four RBI, and two walks (.500 OBP)…Has batted .328 (64-for195) with 14 doubles, seven home runs, and 36 RBI over 48 career contests vs. Boston (.893 OPS).
George Springer went 27-for-71 (.380) with six extra-base hits and 16 RBI in his 18 games vs. BOS last season…Holds a lifetime .310 (70-for-226) average in 58 games against the Red Sox, with nine doubles, three triples, 13 homers, and 42 RBI (.946 OPS).
STARTING PITCHER – Yusei Kikuchi, LHP #16
TODAY’S GAME:
Making his 17th start of the season and his 8th at Rogers Centre…Earned his 7th win of the season his last time out, on 6/25 vs. OAK, tossing 7.0 frames of one-run ball with 2 hits, 2 walks, and 8 strikeouts…Marked his longest outing as a Blue Jay…Has pitched into the 5th inning in all 16 starts this year, the only Blue Jay starter to do so. Has allowed 2 runs or fewer in each of his last 6 starts, pitching to a 2.48 ERA (9 ER/32.2 IP) and a 0.98 WHIP while holding hitters to a .179 average with 11 walks and 37 strikeouts.
2023 HIGHLIGHTS:
Faced one batter over the minimum on 6/20 at MIA, tossing 6.0 shutout innings with 2 hits, no walks, and 6 strikeouts on 87 pitches (57 strikes)… Marked his 3rd scoreless start of the season. Took a no-decision on 6/15 at BAL, giving up a pair of runs over 4.2 frames (6H, 2BB, 7K)…Has allowed 2 runs in each of his last 4 games. Took a no-decision on 6/4 at NYM, giving up 2 runs over 5.0 innings with 4 hits, a walk, and 8 strikeouts…Induced a season-high 19 swing-and-misses. Improved to 6-2 on 5/30 vs. MIL, giving up 2 runs on 3 hits and a season-high 5 walks over 5.0 frames with 4 strikeouts…Punched out Joey Wiemer in the 4th inning for the 500th strikeout of his career…Became the 9th Japanese-born player to record 500 strikeouts and 500.0 innings pitched in the Majors. Shouldered the loss on 5/24 at TB, giving up 5 runs on 8 hits and 2 walks over 5.0 frames with 5 strikeouts…The outing was his 100th career start, becoming the 11th Japanese-born player to reach the century mark. Earned his 3rd win of the year on 4/21 at NYY, tossing 6.0 frames of one-run ball with 4 hits, 2 walks, and 3 strikeouts…Has back-to- back starts of 6.0+ innings and 0-or-1 runs allowed for the first time since 6/18-25 of his 2021 All-Star campaign. Improved to 2-0 on 4/15 vs. TB, throwing 6.0 innings of one-run ball with 4 hits, a walk, and a season-high 9 strikeouts…Marked his most punchouts in a single game as a Blue Jay…Completed 6.0 frames for the 1st time since 6/30/22 vs. TB.
