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RED SOX to hoist WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP banner today at FENWAY PARK


FISHHEAD
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The Boston Red Sox will play in front of the home fans for the first time since winning their fourth World Series in 14 years ago last October, but they hardly have the look of a championship team after a disastrous 11-game road trip to open the season. Boston will raise a World Series banner before hosting the Toronto Blue Jays in Tuesday's opener of a two-game set.

Despite closing the 11-game trek with a 1-0 victory in Arizona on Sunday, the Red Sox return home with a 3-8 record and having allowed the most runs (72) in the majors through the weekend. Asked what kind of greeting the players expected from the Fenway Park faithful, left-hander David Price quipped: "Cheers, I hope. I don't think anybody has ever gotten their World Series rings and gotten booed. So I think we'll get cheered." As bad as Boston has been, with its starting rotation owning a major league-worst 9.13 ERA, Toronto is tied with the Red Sox for last in the American League East with a 3-8 record and staggers into Fenway riding a four-game losing streak. “Our pitching staff is doing great, it’s just our hitting that’s frustrating right now,” Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo said after his team managed to score only six runs in a four-game sweep in Cleveland.

TV: 2:05 p.m. ET, ESPN, SNET (Toronto), NESN (Boston)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Blue Jays RH Matt Shoemaker (2-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. Red Sox LH Chris Sale (0-2, 8.00)

Shoemaker is in the early conversation for the best offseason acquisition after posting near identical lines in each of his first two starts, allowing two hits over seven scoreless innings in victories over Detroit and Baltimore. A former 16-game winner who was limited to 21 starts over the previous two seasons with the Los Angeles Angels, the 32-year-old has 15 strikeouts against only three walks. Mitch Moreland is 3-for-7 with a homer, two doubles and five RBIs against Shoemaker.

Concerns abound about the diminished velocity of Sale, who struck out at least 10 on 11 occasions last season before going on the disabled list for a second time due to shoulder inflammation. He was shelled for seven runs and three homers over three innings in his season debut at Seattle before tossing six strong innings and yielding one run on three hits over six innings at Oakland. Signed to a $145 million extension last month, Sale was 1-0 with a 3.38 ERA in three starts against Toronto in 2018.

EXTRA BASES

1. Red Sox RF J.D. Martinez, who has hit safely in 10 of 11 games, had eight homers and 20 RBIs versus Toronto in 2018.

2. Blue Jays OF Randal Grichuk was 3-for-8 with a homer off Sale last year but was 1-for-16 against the Indians.

3. Boston did not lose its eighth game last year until May 1.
 

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