Boston enters at 52-49 and holding a playoff spot after going from last place to a genuine contender in a matter of weeks. Toronto, meanwhile, sits at 47-56 in last place in the division, still searching for answers after losing Bo Bichette in free agency and watching Vladimir Guerrero Jr. go through a prolonged power drought.
The headline here is Boston's stretch under interim manager Chad Tracy, who took over after Alex Cora's firing and has the club playing like a completely different team. The Red Sox won 15 straight games before finally dropping the nightcap of a doubleheader against Baltimore, tying the 1946 club's franchise record along the way. That loss, plus a tie in the opener of that same doubleheader, is the only blemish on an otherwise dominant recent stretch — and it's the kind of run that's turned Fenway into a party every night.
Toronto's issues go beyond one bad week. The Jays are dealing with rotation attrition, having just placed Patrick Corbin on the IL with a teres major strain while Max Scherzer works his way back from injury, and their offense has been a season-long problem. A win over Tampa Bay to snap a 4-game skid is something, but this Boston lineup on a heater is a different animal entirely.
Neither team is fully healthy, but the gap in complementary depth is stark. Boston's missing Roman Anthony, Trevor Story, and Triston Casas and is still finding a way to score — Toronto's missing key bats and arms and can't buy a run some nights. That disparity is the whole story of this series before a pitch is even thrown Friday at 7:15 PM ET.