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Red Sox lean on Buchholz in matchup with Blue Jays

Jul 23, 2014 - 2:47 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - Clay Buchholz tries to get Boston back into the win column on Wednesday when the Red Sox continue their four-game series with the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.

Buchholz has been on point of late for the Red Sox, winning three of his last four decisions, including his last two starts. After tossing a three-hit shutout to beat Houston before the All-Star break, Buchholz defeated Kansas City on Friday, limiting the Royals to four runs and 10 hits in six innings to run his record to 5-5 to go along with a 5.46 ERA.

"I gave up some loud outs and some loud hits for the first couple of innings, but that's another team that swings the bat, and they put some balls in play that found some holes and led to a couple of runs," Buchholz said Friday. "The way the guys fought back tonight ... that was reminiscent of last year."

Buchholz is 1-1 against the Jays this season and 10-6 lifetime against them with a 2.71 ERA in 20 games (19 starts).

Toronto, meanwhile, will counter with former National League Cy Young Award winner R.A. Dickey, who has lost six of his last seven starts. Dickey lost to Texas on Friday and was hit for five runs and six hits in seven innings. However, he did strike out seven batters without issuing a walk, but still fell to 7-10 with a 3.95 ERA.

Dickey is 3-3 in 12 games (6 starts) versus the Red Sox with a 4.85 ERA.

After getting hammered in Monday's opener, Toronto bounced back on Tuesday, as Jose Reyes, Melky Cabrera and Dioner Navarro all drove in a pair of runs to help the Blue Jays to a 7-3 win.

Navarro doubled and homered, while Reyes added a solo shot among his three hits and Cabrera finished 3-for-5 for the Blue Jays, who rebounded from Monday's series-opening 14-1 loss.

J.A. Happ (8-5) tossed six scoreless innings, allowing seven hits and one walk while fanning four.

"That might have been, in my opinion, his best outing of the year," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said of Happ.

Stephen Drew hit a two-run homer and David Ortiz collected a solo blast for the Red Sox, who saw their five-game wining streak come to an end.

Jake Peavy (1-9) lasted 6 1/3 innings, and was charged with five runs on eight hits with three walks and seven strikeouts.

"It's frustrating to lose," said Peavy. "Run support and no run support, it's not fun to lose."

Toronto has won five of its eight meetings with the Red Sox this season.