The Boston Red Sox travel to Rogers Centre to take on the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, with first pitch set for 7:07 PM ET. Patrick Sandoval gets the start for Boston against Dylan Cease, who toes the rubber for Toronto. It is a division matchup with real stakes — AL East games in August carry playoff implications, and the Sox cannot afford to let ground slip against a Blue Jays club that will be coming out hard in front of the home crowd. Catch the action on NESN or tune in on WEEI 93.7.

Starting Pitchers: Patrick Sandoval vs. Dylan Cease

Sandoval draws the assignment for Boston. A left-handed starter by trade, Sandoval will need to work efficiently against a Toronto lineup that has legitimate pop from top to bottom. The Blue Jays are sending out Cease, a right-hander who has established himself as one of the more difficult starters in the American League when he is on. Neither pitcher's current season stats are available at this writing, so Red Sox fans will want to tune in early and watch the first few innings closely to get a read on who has command of their stuff tonight.

Toronto Blue Jays Starting Lineup

Toronto is rolling out a lineup with plenty of recognizable names. Here is how the Blue Jays are stacking up tonight:

• 1. Charles McAdoo, LF
• 2. Brett Bateman, RF
• 3. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 1B
• 4. George Springer, DH
• 5. Alejandro Kirk, C
• 6. Ernie Clement, 2B
• 7. Kazuma Okamoto, 3B
• 8. Andrés Giménez, SS
• 9. Myles Straw, CF

Guerrero Jr. hitting third is the obvious focal point. He remains one of the most dangerous middle-of-the-order bats in the division, and any Red Sox pitcher who falls behind in the count against him does so at his own peril. Springer in the cleanup spot gives Toronto a second legitimate power threat, and Kirk is a disciplined contact hitter who makes life difficult on pitchers who lack command. Sandoval will need a plan for the top half of this order.

Keys to Watch for the Red Sox

• Sandoval's command early: Getting ahead in counts against Guerrero Jr. and Springer is non-negotiable. Walks to the middle of this lineup turn into runs in a hurry inside Rogers Centre.
• Boston's offensive approach against Cease: The Red Sox lineup will need to grind at-bats and work pitch counts if they want to knock Cease out before the late innings. Cease can be dominant, but he is also hittable when hitters stay patient.
• Bullpen availability: With no current ERA or workload data available for Sandoval, the Boston bullpen could be called upon at any point. How the pen is deployed out of the gate will be something to track.
• Toronto's depth in the lineup: This Blue Jays order does not have a soft spot. Even the bottom third — Giménez and Straw — presents challenges. Boston's defense will need to be clean.

Prediction

This is a toss-up game in the truest sense. Rogers Centre is a tough road venue, and Cease gives Toronto a real advantage on the mound if he is sharp. That said, Sandoval has the profile to go toe-to-toe with a lineup like this if his command is where it needs to be. Call it a competitive game that comes down to which bullpen blinks first. Red Sox 4, Blue Jays 3 in a game that goes down to the final few outs.