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Burnett, Jays take on Red Sox in series finale

Aug 24, 2008 - 6:43 AM Boston (74-55) at Toronto (67-62) 1:07 p.m. EDT

TORONTO (Ticker) -- Two of the top five winners in the American League face off when the Toronto Blue Jays take on the Boston Red Sox on Sunday.

With three wins in 10 games against the Blue Jays, the Red Sox send 15-game winner Daisuke Matsuzaka to the mound.

The righthanded Matsuzaka (15-2, 2.77) has won four consecutive starts and seven of his last eight decisions. He is unbeaten on the road, posting a 7-0 mark and a 2.17 ERA in 10 starts.

In his lone start against Toronto this year, Matsuzaka shut out the Jays for seven innings, allowing two hits and two walks, striking out four in the Sox 2-1 win.

The Blue Jays counter with A.J. Burnett (16-9, 4.51), who carries a personal-six game winning streak into the game. His 16 wins, which put him in a tie for second in the league with Mike Mussina, are a career-high.

Burnett had one of his best starts of the year last time out. The righthander struck out 13 in eight innings, surrendering one run, five hits and a walk in a 2-1 win over the New York Yankees.

In a May 1 start against Boston, the 31-year old pitched 7 2/3 innings in a 3-0 Toronto win. He gave up three hits and five walks, striking out five.

Toronto is running out of time in its pursuit of the American League wild card. Boston (74-55) sits seven games ahead of the Blue Jays, with the Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees ahead of them in the race.