After getting shut out on Monday night, the Blue Jays returned the favour on Tuesday with a 3-0 win over the Boston Red Sox. This afternoon, they get a chance to win their third consecutive series, as well as win their sixth game in their last nine tries.

On the mound, Toronto will be turning to Eric Lauer, whose role in the starting rotation is beginning to dwindle with the return of Trey Yesavage and a pending return of José Berríos.

Lauer was fantastic against the Athletics, striking out nine while allowing two earned runs over 5 1/3 innings, but since then, Lauer has posted a mixed bag of results while fighting an illness over a couple of his outings. On the season, he’s pitched to a 6.75 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, and a 7.5 K/9 over five total appearances.

Lauer faced the Red Sox more than any other team last year, allowing 10 hits, five runs, two walks, and 10 strikeouts over 11 2/3 frames. Boston shortstop Trevor Story has seen Lauer the most of the current Red Sox hitters, going for 9-for-25 with three homers, 10 RBIs, and a pair of doubles against him. Willson Contreras has also accumulated a decent sample against Lauer, posting a 5-for-14 mark with a homer and three RBIs.

With Lauer being a lefty, the Red Sox have adjusted their lineup relative to the first two games of this series. Southpaws Jarren Duran and Masataka Yoshida are out of the starting lineup, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Andruw Monasterio are in, and Ceddanne Rafaela will bat cleanup for the first time this season.

The Red Sox will send a struggling Brayan Bello to the mound this afternoon with hopes that the 26-year-old righty can rewrite the script on his 2026 campaign. Through five starts, Bello has posted a 9.00 ERA, 2.27 WHIP, and a 6.1 K/9, and he’s coming off an outing in which he allowed 13 hits and 8 earned runs against the Orioles.

Although he’s getting plenty of whiffs in the early going on his pitches (see a 54.1% whiff rate on the cutter and a 35.5% mark on the changeup), opponents are still doing their fair share of damage against them as well. Opposing hitters are hitting .375 or higher against the sinker, cutter, and changeup, and he’s sporting a 16.1 barrel rate that would be the worst of his career by far should it continue.

Given this is his fifth year with the Red Sox, several Blue Jays hitters have seen him a handful of times. No one on the roster has seen him more than Vladimir Guerrero Jr., though; Guerrero Jr. is 12-for-30 with two home runs, 10 RBIs, and four doubles against Bello for his career.

George Springer, who missed the last 15 games with a toe fracture, was reinstated from the 10-day IL just a short while ago. Although he’s available off the bench, he will not be in the starting lineup for today’s game. Ernie Clement will take his spot at the top of the order with Jesús Sánchez hitting in the two-spot. Yohendrick Pinango will make his second career start batting sixth, and Brandon Valenzuela gets his first start of the series batting ninth.

Location: Rogers Centre – Toronto, ON

First Pitch: 3:07 PM ET

Watch/Listen: Sportsnet, NESN / Sportsnet 590 The Fan

Toronto Blue Jays – Eric Lauer: 1-3 record, 6.75 ERA, 22 2/3 IP, 19 SO, 12 BB

Boston Red Sox – Brayan Bello: 1-3 record, 9.00 ERA, 22 IP, 15 SO, 13 BB

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