Red Sox send Miley to hill in Toronto
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}(SportsNetwork.com) - Boston left-hander Wade Miley tries to build upon his best start of the season on Friday when the Red Sox kick off a three-game series with the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.
Miley has mostly been awful for the Red Sox, going 1-3 with a 7.15 ERA. However, he pitched well in his most recent loss on Saturday against the New York Yankees, as he surrendered three runs and seven hits in seven innings.
"We had a pretty aggressive game plan today," said Miley, who walked none after issuing 11 free passes in his previous 15 2/3 innings. "Just threw a lot of fastballs and got some outs."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Putting the brakes on his personal two-game losing streak may be easier said than done, though, as Miley lost his only other start against the Jays and was blasted for five runs and eight hits in just 1 2/3 innings of that one.
Boston enters this series having lost five of six and on Thursday fired pitching coach Juan Nieves.
Red Sox hurlers own an American League-worst 4.86 ERA through 28 games. The group has also allowed opposing teams to hit .263.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Toronto's starters haven't been much better and are pitching to a 5.40 ERA.
Rookie Aaron Sanchez gets the call for the Jays on Friday, eying his third consecutive winning decision. Sanchez beat the Cleveland Indians on Saturday, as he held them to a pair of runs and four hits in 5 2/3 innings to run his record to 2-2, while lowering his ERA to 4.62.
Sanchez, though, walked six batters and has issued 20 walks in 25 1/3 innings this season.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"These last few starts, he's been pretty effective but he's walked a lot of guys too," manager John Gibbons said. "Over time, that's not going to work, so he's got to get in the zone better."
Sanchez did not get a decision against the Red Sox two starts ago and is 0-1 in= six games (1 start) against them with a 3.38 ERA.
Toronto took two of three from the New York Yankees earlier this week, including a 5-1 win on Wednesday that saw Russell Martin homer for the fourth time in five games.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Boston took two of three from the Blue Jays earlier in the year.