A trip north of border has done wonders for the Boston Red Sox and their hopes of reaching the playoffs.

After winning the first two games of this series as well as splitting their last series in New York, Boston are now just 3 ½ games behind the Tampa Bay Rays who are struggling as of late. The big thing so far in this series for the Red Sox has been their offense. Boston have scored seventeen runs in the first two games of this series and Red Sox starter John Lackey will be hoping for more of the same tonight.

Lackey is currently 10-7 with a 4.60 ERA in his first season in Boston which includes two games against the Blue Jays. In both games Lackey struggled mightily especially in his last appearance in Toronto. Lackey went 4 2/3 innings and gave up seven earned runs while walking six. Following that start Lackey did manage to rattle three quality starts but August has been an extremely tough month so far for the righty hander. In two starts in August Lackey is 0-2 with a 8.74 ERA and while he has not given up any long balls (a good sign given Toronto’s power) he has walked eight in just 11 1/3 innings. Boston will need a marked improvement from Lackey if they are to win tonight and take advantage of Tampa’s woes.

For Toronto this series has been a bit of a reality check following their great series against the Rays over the weekend which included an amazing 17 K one-hitter from Brandon Morrow. Toronto’s starter today is Brad Mills who has been moved up a day after scheduled starter Brett Cecil suffered a mild knee injury. This will be Mills’s third start of the season and he’s coming off a roughing up at the hands of the Rays last Saturday. The Blue Jays went on to win the game but not because of Mills who gave up five earned in four innings while walking four. Toronto will be hoping that Mills will be able to re-create the form he showed on his season debut when he pitched seven scoreless against the Orioles in late July.

The Blue Jays won’t be able to bail Mills out every time he plays but against Lackey they will certainly fancy their chances to pile up the runs. Toronto and Boston are both available at 5/6 at Bluesq for the win.