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Blue Jays seek to sweep Red Sox, push win streak to 11

Jun 14, 2015 - 12:44 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - Two American League East rivals will close out a three- game series Sunday at Fenway Park where Toronto and the Boston Red Sox clash head-to-head as the Blue Jays go for their 11th consecutive win.

The visiting Blue Jays will send Marco Estrada to the mound to face off against young Boston stud Eduardo Rodriguez, who has pitched exceptionally well in his three starts.

Estrada boasts a 3-3 record this season with a 3.78 earned run average entering Sunday's matchup. He's fanned 44 batters and walked just 16 in 52 1/3 innings of work.

Two of his three wins on the season have come in his latest two outings. Estrada got the starting nod Monday against Miami and lasted seven innings, giving up seven hits and three runs with six strikeouts to level his record at 3-3. Just six days prior, he surrendered three runs (two earned) in six innings in a win over Washington.

He's faced Boston three times in his career, with one start, and is 1-1 with a 2.82 ERA, 10 strikeouts and seven walks in that span. Red Sox batters are hitting just .186 against the right-hander.

Rodriguez, the 22-year-old lefty from Venezuela, has people in Boston talking about a bright future for the pitcher, even after just three starts. He enters the contest Sunday with a 2-0 record and a 0.44 ERA, 21 strikeouts and seven walks.

His last start came on Tuesday against Baltimore - the only start in which he didn't pick up a win. Rodriguez lasted six innings and allowed three hits with no runs in the eventual 1-0 Boston loss. Rodriguez has struck out seven batters in all three of his appearances.

In one home start, Rodriguez is 1-0 this season with a 1.29 ERA, two hits and one run allowed.

Although Toronto held a 4-0 lead over Boston early on Saturday, the two sides still needed extra innings to settle their afternoon bout. A Russell Martin home run in the top half of the 11th gave the Blue Jays a 5-4 victory. Boston has now lost five in a row.

"No one expected us to be this way, especially with the team we have on paper," said Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts. "Hopefully we turn things around."

Toronto jumped ahead 3-0 after two innings, then added a fourth run in the fourth inning. Ryan Goins drove in a pair in the second to help the effort. He finished the day 2-for-5 at the plate.

But Boston came storming back with three runs in the home half of the fourth, thanks largely to a Pablo Sandoval two-run single. David Ortiz blasted a solo home run in the sixth to knot the score.

Neither team could plate a run until Martin's shot off reliever Matt Barnes, who was part of a dismal seventh inning Friday night for Boston that gave up nine runs.

Aaron Loup (2-3) picked up the win for Toronto, and Brett Cecil earned his fourth save. Red Sox starter Clay Buchholz lasted six innings and surrendered eight hits with four runs.

Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson went into the contest leading the majors in runs scored (51) and in total bases (145). He finished the day 0- for-5 at the plate with two strikeouts.

Toronto goes for the series sweep of Boston Sunday. The Blue Jays own a 5-3 season advantage over the Red Sox.