Chris Sale back on July 22. (Leon Halip/Getty Images)
BOSTON (WBZ-AM) -- Alex Cora's Red Sox avoided a sweep to the Astros Sunday, and they'll take an eight-game division lead into action tonight at 7:10 p.m. when they host the Blue Jays for the first of three. Boston's magic number to win the East is 11.
"It's always good to win," Cora said. "Just another day we won, tomorrow's an off day, that's two days, so we keep moving."
Chris Sale will start for the first time since August 12th, but the ace hasn't allowed a run his last 28 innings. Longest scoreless streak in the majors. The southpaw's only expected to throw two innings. Recent shoulder inflammation will cap him at 40 pitches. He's only thrown five frames since July 28th.
Sale has a ridiculous 0.69 ERA with 109 strikeouts in 65 innings his last 10 starts, and Boston's won each of his last seven attempts while he's limited opponents to only one run in 44 frames. Sale's let up six runs in 15 frames in Toronto this year.
Nathan Eovaldi will follow him out of the bullpen. He's given up 24 runs his last 22-and-a-third innings. Jays will counter with Ryan Borucki. The rookie lefty's started a pair of wins against the Red Sox, but permitted 11 runs in only eight innings. Mookie Betts is 5-for-5 against the youngster with three triples and a double.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Adam Kaufman (@AdamMKaufman) reports