The Red Sox are playing .500 baseball as we creep into July, but that’s good enough to be battling atop the mediocre AL East this season.
The Sox will get a chance to bury the doormat of the division, the disappointing Toronto Blue Jays (36-40), this weekend in Canada. Doug Fister (0-1, 4.50 ERA) is slated to throw for the Red Sox in the series opener Friday night. His first start as a member of the Sox was a decent one on June 25 against the Angels as he worked six innings and allowed three earned runs on seven hits. The Sox wound up losing that game to the Angels, 4-2, but Fister – the former star with the Tigers, who has bounced around the majors the past few years – showed promise. Boston boss Dave Dombrowski claimed him off waivers.
Sox ace Chris Sale (10-3) will pitch on Saturday up north, with Drew Pomeranz (7-4) slated to go on Sunday.
The Sox will spend Fourth of July in Texas in a three-game set against the Rangers that begins on Monday.
