Payton Tolle Looks To Stop Red Sox Skid In Must-Watch Pitching Duel originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Boston Red Sox desperately need someone to stop the bleeding. They could not have asked for a much better candidate than Payton Tolle.
Boston will send its talented rookie left-hander to the mound Thursday afternoon in the series finale against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. Tolle will attempt to snap the Red Sox’s five-game losing streak while opposing three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer.
First pitch is scheduled for 2:07 p.m. ET.
The assignment comes with plenty of pressure. Boston’s 6-4 loss Wednesday dropped the club to 64-56 and 10 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League East. The Red Sox have scored only 11 runs during their five-game skid, leaving their pitching staff with almost no room for error.
Tolle has the talent to give Boston the kind of performance it needs.
Payton Tolle Has Been A Red Sox Stopper
The 23-year-old owns a 7-6 record, 3.20 ERA and 1.10 WHIP through 19 starts this season. He also has recorded 124 strikeouts across 107 innings, establishing himself as one of the most exciting young pitchers in Boston’s rotation. Tolle was dominant in his most recent appearance. The 6-foot-6 left-hander struck out a career-high 14 batters while allowing one run on two hits over six innings in a 13-1 victory against the Athletics.
Boston has won each of Tolle’s last five starts. He has allowed only 10 earned runs while striking out 44 batters over 26 2/3 innings during that stretch. Extending that run against Toronto will not be easy. Tolle has made two starts against the Blue Jays this season, allowing six earned runs over 9 2/3 innings. He issued six walks and surrendered two home runs in those outings.
The stakes are also much higher now. Boston entered this series with a chance to build momentum against a division opponent. Instead, consecutive losses have extended a sudden skid and increased the pressure surrounding Thursday’s finale.
MORE: Red Sox Losing Streak Hits Five After Late Collapse Vs. Blue Jays
Tolle Excited To Face Max Scherzer
The matchup carries personal significance for Tolle, who was only 5 years old when Scherzer made his Major League Baseball debut with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2008.
“I was actually thinking about it today: Should I send a ball over to get signed?” Tolle told The Boston Globe. “But it’s a cool one for me. He’s a guy that, growing up, during high school and stuff, watching him, the competitive bulldog, that’s kind of the guy that pitchers look at.”
Scherzer, 42, has allowed four runs over 14 innings since returning from the injured list, producing a 2.57 ERA across three appearances.
The veteran’s presence adds intrigue to the afternoon, but Tolle cannot afford to become distracted by the occasion. Boston needs innings, strikeouts and, most importantly, a win.
The rookie has spent much of the season proving that he belongs in the Red Sox rotation. On Thursday, he will have an opportunity to deliver his biggest performance yet and prevent Boston’s losing streak from reaching six games.