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Boston Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet aims to improve on his last start when he faces the host Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday night in the opener of a three-game series.

The left-hander allowed four runs, five hits and a career-high five walks in five innings on Thursday in a 4-3 home loss to the Seattle Mariners.

Crochet took responsibility for the loss after the Mariners touched him for two runs in each of the first two innings.

“The game was the first two innings that I pitched,” he said. “That was really what lost us the game.”

The Blue Jays can look forward to Crochet reverting to a power pitcher from the beginning on Tuesday. He was trying to be a little too fine in the early innings against the Mariners.

“It became something where I was trying to pitch instead of just throwing,” he said after the start. “Once I started getting back to my roots and just being a power pitcher later in the game, the walks were still there, but I was at least able to get guys out.”

This will be the second time this season that Crochet (2-2, 1.95 ERA) will face the Blue Jays. He took his first loss of the season against them at Fenway Park on April 8 when he allowed four runs (one earned), five hits and four walks in 5 2/3 innings. In four career outings (two starts) against Toronto, he is 2-1 with a 0.66 ERA in 13 2/3 innings.

He is expected to be opposed by right-hander Bowden Francis (2-3, 3.58) on Tuesday. Francis has not faced the Red Sox this season, but he has had success against them. He is 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA and 11 strikeouts in 14 2/3 innings over in five career games (two starts) against Boston.

The Red Sox are coming off a 13-3 road victory over the Cleveland Guardians on Sunday. Kristian Campbell was 2-for-2 with four runs, a double, three walks, two RBIs and a stolen base in what manager Alex Cora described as “all-around probably one of his best, if not the best, game of the season.”

Campbell helped Boston take two of three from Cleveland.

The Blue Jays are returning from a 1-5 road trip after being swept 11-2 and 5-1 in a doubleheader by the New York Yankees on Sunday.

Toronto won the opener of the series 4-2 on Friday followed by a postponement on Saturday.

The Blue Jays’ lack of hitting with runners in scoring position was again a problem, going 2-for-17 over the doubleheader. They scored seven runs over the three games at New York. Before that, they totaled two runs and nine hits when they were swept in a three-game series against the Houston Astros.

Manager John Schneider knows what the Blue Jays must do better when they open their six-game homestand.

“Better at-bats with guys on base and taking advantage of mistakes,” Schneider said. “Things that we talk about all the time. … We know that we have the guys in there that can do it.”

Blue Jays center fielder Daulton Varsho is expected to return soon from his minor league rehabilitation assignment. He started the season on the injured list after offseason right rotator cuff surgery.

Toronto recalled outfielder Jonatan Clase to be their 27th player for the doubleheader on Sunday and he was returned to return to Triple-A Buffalo later the same day.

–Field Level Media