Max Scherzer bids to pitch Blue Jays to series sweep of Red Sox

The Toronto Blue Jays will be out to complete their domination of the visiting Boston Red Sox on Thursday afternoon in the finale of a four-game series.

The Blue Jays have won all three games in this series and nine of 12 from the Red Sox this season.

Toronto scored five runs in the eighth inning in a 6-4 victory on Wednesday. Boston answered with three runs in the ninth, but it wasn't enough during another loss.

The Red Sox, once the hottest team in baseball, have dropped five games in a row for the first time since March 28-April 1.

Toronto, in turn, has won 10 of its past 14 overall but is still four games under .500.

"There's some young guys bringing some energy," Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. "There's some guys who have something to prove. That rubs off on everyone. It's a good feeling right now."

Toronto will start right-hander Max Scherzer (1-4, 7.25 ERA) on Thursday. He is 5-7 with a 5.77 ERA in 14 career starts against Boston.

Left-hander Payton Tolle (7-6, 3.20) is slated to start for Boston. He is 0-2 with a 5.91 ERA in three career outings (two starts) against the Blue Jays, with both losses coming this season.

Tolle, 23, grew up watching Scherzer, 42, in action.

"I was actually thinking about it today," Tolle told The Boston Globe. "Should I send a ball over to get signed? But it's a cool one for me. He's a guy that, growing up, during high school and stuff, watching him, the competitive bulldog -- that's kind of the guy that pitchers look at. So it's a cool thing that I'm excited about. I got to shake his hand earlier this year."

Tolle will try to lift the Red Sox out of a swoon in which they have not helped themselves.

With two runners on base in the eighth inning on Wednesday, Boston first baseman Willson Contreras dropped a simple foul ball near the bag. It prolonged the at-bat for Kazuma Okamoto, who showed his gratitude by hitting a go-ahead single to left field.

Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy attempted to explain the error.

"It looked like it just drifted back to the right," Tracy said. "It's just a miss. It happens, and you've got to move on."

Said Schneider: "Maybe the baseball gods are changing their mind about us ... you never know. From me to the baseball gods, thanks. Keep it coming."

As if the Red Sox are not having enough trouble scoring, they have added to the problem with some unsound decisions. Ceddanne Rafaela, for example, singled in the fourth but was thrown out trying to go from first to third base on a wild pitch.

Boston did continue to get stellar defense from right fielder Wilyer Abreu, who made a sliding catch and a throw to first for a double play that ended the fifth inning.

The Red Sox used Tyron Guerrero, who allowed five runs (four earned), and Alec Gamboa, promoted from Triple-A Worcester on Wednesday, in the eighth.

Boston reliever Garrett Whitlock did not pitch the eighth because he had what Tracy said was "a little bit of elbow inflammation."

Toronto, meanwhile, claimed reliever Paul Sewald off waivers from the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday.

"Veteran guy, we've seen him a lot, he's had some really good years and kind of a weird down year this year," Schneider said. "We're looking for a little bit of stability."

--Field Level Media