Getting off to a strong start should be on the Boston Red Sox’s to-do list Tuesday when they open a three-game series against the visiting Toronto Blue Jays.
The Red Sox won two of three games against the Texas Rangers last weekend, but Sunday’s 6-4 loss dropped Boston’s record to 9-29 when their opponent scores first.
Willson Contreras is a player who can help the Red Sox score early. He hit two home runs Sunday and has five homers in his last nine games. Contreras leads the team with 16 home runs this season.
Contreras has hit 20 or more home runs six times during his 11 major league seasons, and had a career-high 24 home runs in 2019.
“I’m not looking forward to put pressure on myself to get to 30 or to get to some number,” he said. “There’s still a lot of seasons left. But I feel good at the plate, trying to make contact. And if I get to 30, thank God. But I’m just playing one day at a time.
“I think the approach of making contact, trying to make contact is working. I know that I’m in a good stretch right now, but I’m trying not to overthink or think too much. I’m trying to keep my game simple, make contact and let everything happen.”
Contreras is batting a career-best .304 with a .396 on-base percentage and a .570 slugging percentage this season. He’s reached base in 23 of his past 24 games.
“Everybody in the dugout knows what he’s capable of,” Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy said.
Left-hander Payton Tolle (3-3, 2.70 ERA) is scheduled to start on the mound for Boston on Tuesday. Tolle is 0-1 with a 6.35 ERA in two career games (one start) against the Blue Jays. He pitched the first 4 2/3 innings against Toronto during a 3-0 loss on April 28.
The Blue Jays have not named a probable starter yet.
Toronto’s bullpen was less than stellar in losses to the New York Yankees on Saturday and Sunday.
Closer Louis Varland gave up a two-run home run to Paul Goldschmidt to break a 1-1 tie in the ninth inning of Saturday’s 3-1 loss.
On Sunday, Braydon Fisher surrendered a two-run home run to Ben Rice in the ninth to break a 3-3 tie. Jose Caballero added a three-run home run off Tommy Nance later in the inning in New York’s 8-3 victory.
“We all want to pitch,” Fisher said. “We’ve had some troubles with the (injured list) this year. We’re getting our guys back here soon, so the workload will go down a little bit. We’re all happy and sad about that – we all love pitching. It’s good for the team as a whole, it’s good for each other individually. But we like earning our money.”
The Blue Jays didn’t have first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (back) or shortstop Andres Gimenez (wrist) in the lineup on Sunday, but Toronto manager John Schneider said he expects both to be available Tuesday.
