Toronto Blue Jays look to rebound in Boston

Apr 24, 2015; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher R.A. Dickey (43) reacts in the dugout after he gave up 4 runs during the fourth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Game 3, Wednesday: R.A. Dickey vs. Rick Porcello

Dickey takes the mound for the series finale, and recently, it hasn’t been pretty.  Entering with an 0-2 record and a 5.25 ERA, Buehrle has not been able to get hitters out in the strike zone.  His first three starts of the season saw him walk an uncharacteristic 12 batters, but his most recent start should be the biggest cause for concern.

Against the Tampa Bay Rays, Dickey allowed 9 hits and 7 earned runs over 4.2 innings pitched, but most importantly, he did not manage a strikeout.  This suggests that Dickey is not getting the movement that he needs in the strike zone.  With Hanley Ramirez and David Ortiz at the dish, Dickey’s floaters won’t stay in the ballpark long.

Boston will counter with Rick Porcello, who has allowed a whopping 18 earned runs through 25.0 innings pitched.  Porcell0 is a much better pitcher than this, of course, but his career with the Red Sox has not gotten off on the right foot.  The right-hander features a fastball that tops out around 92 MPH, along with a curveball, slider and change.

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