Boston's turnaround story is the bigger headline in this series. Interim manager Chad Tracy has the Red Sox playing meaningfully better baseball since taking over, and Boston sits with a hold on a Wild Card spot. Toronto has gone the opposite direction, dropping to 9 games under .500 during a brutal stretch that's included a 12-2 blowout loss to Tampa Bay just days ago.
The lone bright spot for Toronto was salvaging the final game of that Rays series with a 3-1 win to avoid the sweep, proof there's still fight left in this roster even with the outfield picture a mess. Jesus Sanchez, Addison Barger and Anthony Santander are all out, which has forced Toronto to lean on a thinner-than-planned lineup against a Red Sox team that's finally getting healthier in some spots, even as its own rotation and middle infield remain banged up.
Boston's absences are real too — Ranger Suarez, Garrett Crochet, Tanner Houck and Johan Oviedo are all shelved from the rotation, and the middle infield is without Trevor Story, Marcelo Mayer and Isiah Kiner-Falefa. But with Gray on the mound and a roster playing with real confidence under Tracy, the Red Sox look like the far more complete team walking into this weekend.