Blue Jays hit Fenway for battle with Red Sox

Sep 4, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Joe Kelly (56) pitches against the Philadelphia Phillies during the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports

Game 3: Wednesday, September 9th  –  7:10 ET
Drew Hutchison (13-3, 5.07)  vs.  Joe Kelly (9-6, 4.84)

Hutchison isn’t a “lock” to pitch the series finale on Wednesday, but it’s the likeliest scenario at this point. Where things get fuzzy is the next trip through the rotation, when Marcus Stroman is expected to return against the New York Yankees. Hutchison will need a strong showing here to keep his name in the conversation, because his last outing wasn’t pretty.

The righty looked OK through the early innings, but as it often goes with Hutchison, he slammed into a wall in the middle innings. Through 5.0 innings, Hutchison allowed six earned runs on nine hits, striking out just two batters. There may not be a statistic in the MLB that represents the truth less that Hutchison’s 13-3 record.

Boston will close out the series with Joe Kelly, and much like Porcello, the Blue Jays are running into him at the wrong time. Kelly has rattled off seven straight wins since August 1st, and has not allowed more than two earned runs over that time. With a fastball that can touch the high-90s which he uses two-thirds of the time, Toronto will be sitting dead red.

Next: Do shorter outings mean more success for Jays rotation?

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