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Red Sox-Blue Jays Preview

Aug 12, 2010 - 5:03 AM By SAMANTHA PANITCH STATS Writer

Boston (65-49) at Toronto (59-53), 12:37 p.m. EDT

Only the Toronto Blue Jays have hit more home runs than the Red Sox this season, but Boston has put on a power display of its own against its division foe.

The Red Sox seek their 10th win in 12 games this year against Toronto as they try to complete a three-game sweep Thursday afternoon at Rogers Centre.

Boston (66-49) has hit 153 home runs this season, second in the majors to the Blue Jays' 178, but has six homers in the first two games of this series compared to Toronto's three.

Four of those home runs came in the Red Sox's 10-1 rout of the Blue Jays (59-54) on Wednesday night. Bill Hall went deep twice, while Adrian Beltre and J.D. Drew also connected for Boston, which has won 10 of its last 11 at Toronto.

This is the first time the Blue Jays have dropped consecutive games to a division opponent since July 3-4. Excluding its struggles against the Red Sox, Toronto is 23-10 within the division this season.

"We can't do anything about it but keep playing them," Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston told the team's official website. "Who knows? We have to play them seven more times, so anything can turn around."

Brad Mills (1-0, 4.09 ERA) will try to quiet Boston's bats when he takes the mound for the Blue Jays on Thursday.

The left-hander will make his second start of the season in place of Brett Cecil, who had his scheduled start pushed back to Saturday. Mills was bumped up to pitched Thursday and will be optioned to Triple-A following the start.

After a stellar season debut against Baltimore, Mills was tagged for five runs and seven hits over four innings in Toronto's 17-11 win over Tampa Bay on Saturday.

He will be opposed by John Lackey (10-7, 4.60), who has one win in his last seven starts.

Lackey struggled his last time out, giving up five runs on eight hits over six innings in a 5-2 loss at Yankee Stadium on Saturday.

The right-hander has given up four or more earned runs in nine of his 23 starts, and 11 total in his last two outings, but manager Terry Francona still has confidence in his veteran pitcher.

"I think we all think he's good," Francona told the team's official website. "He's been that guy at times this year, they bunched four hits together. Or he's left the game with runners on base and given up a couple of extra runs. No, we love him to death."

Lackey has split two starts against Toronto this season despite a 10.97 ERA. He was ripped for seven runs and eight hits with six walks over 4 2-3 innings in a 9-5 loss at Rogers Centre on July 10.

He will likely be throwing to an unfamiliar catcher Thursday, with newly acquired Jarrod Saltalamacchia expected to make his first start for the Red Sox after being acquired from Texas on July 31.

"I'm excited," Saltalamacchia said. "You don't get this opportunity too often. Not too many people get to the big leagues as it is, but to play for a team like Boston, and the legacy here - I'm just excited, ready to go."