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Jays prospect Zeuch faces Red Sox in first startFLMFollowing a whirlwind 24 hours, the Boston Red Sox take to the road Tuesday to kick off a three-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays.While Toronto was off Monday, Boston fired team president Dave Dombrowski, welcomed iconic slugger David Ortiz back to Fenway Park for an emotional first pitch, then fell to the New York Yankees for the third straight day to officially end their three-year run atop the American League East.Eight games out in the AL wild-card picture, the Red Sox are all but eliminated from postseason contention and are looking to play out the remainder of a disappointing 2019 campaign."The guys, they're still batting," Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. "Just the results are not there. That's what we expect to do the rest of the season." Right-hander Nathan Eovaldi (1-0, 5.77 ERA) will take the mound for Boston on Tuesday. The Blue Jays will counter with righty T. J. Zeuch (0-0, 4.50) in his first major league start.The Red Sox were shut out by the Yankees 5-0 in the finale of a four-game series Monday to cap a long day at the park for Cora. The second-year skipper was forced to answer the brunt of the questions regarding Dombrowski's firing after team management opted not to address it at a press conference."Unfair, fair, I don't know," Cora said of his situation. "The team sent a statement. They want to make sure we appreciate what Dave did as an organization. For some people, that's not enough. For others, maybe it is." The talk around Dombrowski soon died down as the Red Sox announced Ortiz would throw out the first pitch in his first public appearance since being shot in the Dominican Republic in June. Former teammate Jason Varitek caught the offering from Ortiz, and the local icon delivered a speech to fans thanking them for their support while he recovered.Then came the game, and Boston's bats fell flat in the team's 14th loss to the Yankees in 19 meetings this season.The Red Sox have fared much better against the Blue Jays on the year, going 10-6 entering the final three meetings between the clubs.Toronto has lost seven straight, though there's reason to be excited with Zeuch's first start. The 24-year-old, a first-round pick in the 2016 draft, enjoyed a relatively successful debut on Sept. 3, when he held the host Atlanta Braves to two runs on three hits over four innings of relief."It was amazing," Zeuch said postgame. "This is something I've wanted since I was a kid. It's been 18 years of hard work and dedication paid off. I was able to have family come down and watch, and it was a very exciting night." Zeuch was 4-3 with a 3.74 ERA in 15 minor league starts this season, including a no-hitter thrown while in Triple-A in August. He is expected to be among the Blue Jays' rotation options for 2020.Similarly, Eovaldi is trying to prove he belongs in the rotation for Boston as he continues to build back up following midseason elbow surgery. The 29-year-old reached five innings for the first time since his return in his last outing, allowing one run on one hit and four walks against the visiting Minnesota Twins on Thursday.Eovaldi is 1-1 with a 3.90 ERA in five career games (four starts) versus Toronto. The one time he faced the Blue Jays this year, he gave up five runs on six hits in five innings during a no-decision on April 11.--Field Level Media

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