A tough Spring Training for the Toronto Blue Jays continues on Sunday, taking on their AL East rival Boston Red Sox.

Heading into the game the Jays hold the worst record in Grapefruit League ball, going just 2-6. The record, however, is irrelevant, as teams much like the Jays are rotating through plenty of young players.

Like today, where Toronto is boasting a lineup of tweener players. Guys like Ernie Clement, Spencer Horwitz, Addison Barger, Alan Roden and Cam Eden — all prospects who have gotten their feet wet in the big leagues, are fighting their way through the ranks, or are knocking on the door of increased roles this season.

And then there’s today’s starter, Paolo Espino, a journeyman starter through the years who had a tough 2023 campaign signed by the Jays to a minor league deal for organizational depth.

The Red Sox, meanwhile, will trot out starter Kutter Crawford and a lineup looking a lot closer to an MLB one than the Jays.


First pitch: 1:05 p.m. EST — TV: Sportsnet. Radio: SN590.

Odds via Betano:

Moneyline: TOR +177; BOS -222.
Spread: TOR +1.5 -110; BOS -1.5 -111.
Over/Under: o9.5 -105; u9.5 -118.

*Odds available at the time of writing. Odds subject to change.

Starting pitchers (2023 statistics):

Name Team GS

W

L

IP

ERA

xERA

ERA-

FIP

WHIP

K/9

BB/9

Kutter Crawford BOS 23 6 8 129.1 4.04 3.30 89 3.83 1.11 9.39 2.51
Paolo Espino TOR 0 0 0 4.0 24.75 16.46 564 7.26 4.25 6.75 6.75

Lineups:

TORONTO:

  1. E Clement (R) 3B
  2. A Kirk (R) C
  3. D Vogelbach (L) DH
  4. D Schneider (R) 2B
  5. S Espinal (R) SS
  6. S Horwitz (L) 1B
  7. A Barger (L) RF
  8. A Roden (L) LF
  9. C Eden (R) CF

RED SOX:

  1. J Duran (L) CF
  2. R Devers (L) 3B
  3. T Story (R) SS
  4. T Casas (L) 1B
  5. M Yoshida (L) DH
  6. T O’Neill (R) LF
  7. W Abreu (L) RF
  8. E Valdez (L) 2B
  9. R Pérez (R) C

Need to bide the time until first pitch?

Tune into the latest edition of Blue Jays Nation Radio as the crew talks about all the happenings in Toronto and beyond.


Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist. He can be followed on Twitter at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach@thenationnetwork.com.


ARTICLE PRESENTED BY BETANO





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