(SportsNetwork.com) - After a stellar 2013 season, Clay Buchholz has been hit hard in 2014. The Boston right-hander tries for his first win of the season Saturday afternoon when the Red Sox resume a three-game set against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.
Buchholz is 9-5 with a 2.44 ERA in 18 career outings (17 starts) versus the Jays. He has held Toronto to a paltry .211 batting average (87-for-413) in his career.
In last start, Buchholz was pounded to the tune of seven hits and six runs in 2 1/3 innings of a 7-6 defeat to Baltimore on Monday. That moved his ERA to 7.71 after four starts.
Brandon Morrow lost his first start of the year on April 3 at Tampa Bay, but the righty is unbeaten since then, going 1-0 in three starts for the Blue Jays. He didn't get a decision on Sunday at Cleveland after limiting the Indians to three hits and a pair of runs over five-plus innings.
In 17 career appearances (9 starts) against the Red Sox, Morrow is 1-3 with a 7.99 ERA.
Last night, Will Middlebrooks and Dustin Pedroia both drove in a pair of runs to back seven strong innings from Jake Peavy in an 8-1 Boston win.
A.J. Pierzynski and Jackie Bradley each finished with three hits, two runs scored and an RBI, while David Ortiz added a solo shot for the Red Sox, who were coming off a series loss in the Bronx.
Peavy (1-0) gave up a Juan Francisco homer and just four other hits, fanning seven and walking two.
Mark Buehrle (4-1) suffered his first defeat of the season after allowing 12 hits and seven runs -- six earned -- while issuing three walks without a strikeout over 5 1/3 frames for the Blue Jays, who have dropped three in a row and six of nine.
"I thought we had a very good offensive approach. We didn't expand the zone on Buehrle," said Red Sox manager John Farrell. "We got an early lead, Jake made it stand up, and just a well-played game all the way around."
Boston went 11-8 against the Blue Jays last season.
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