Pillar again in spotlight as Giants visit Jays

San Francisco will visit Toronto on Wednesday in a game that will have a decidedly Boston flavor about it.

When the Giants and Blue Jays close out their brief two-game interleague series Wednesday afternoon, San Francisco will have left-hander Drew Pomeranz (0-2, 4.82 ERA) on the mound against Toronto right-hander Clay Buchholz (0-0, 3.38).

The pitchers have 12 1/2 years of experience with the Red Sox between them, but played together at Fenway Park for just a half season, in 2016, after Pomeranz was traded from the San Diego Padres.

Both pitchers continue to search for their first victory with their new teams. Pomeranz has not gone more than five innings in any of his four starts, but the Giants still have won two of those games.

Buchholz has not given up more than three earned runs in either of his starts this season. He started the season on the injured list as he continued to recover from a flexor tendon injury in his right elbow, his third flexor tendon injury since 2015.

Pomeranz has 10 career appearances (eight starts) against the Blue Jays, going 3-2 with a 4.26 ERA. He failed to complete five innings in either of his starts against Toronto last season.

The veteran is coming off at outing at Washington when he gave up four runs on six hits over 4 2/3 innings and the Giants lost 4-2 to the Nationals. He did strike out seven batters, but he walked three and now has eight walks over just 18 2/3 innings.

"I've been feeling really good and the biggest part for me is trying to manage that," Pomeranz told reporters after his last outing. "I feel like I get on a roll and roll through hitters and a couple of times a game I get jammed up and end up throwing a lot of pitches."

Buchholz might be making his third start of the season, but it's just his 21st over the last three seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies, Arizona Diamondbacks and now the Blue Jays. He made six minor league starts last year, but signed a major league deal with Toronto this season.

"That was pretty tough for me," Buchholz said about going to the minor leagues, according to The Athletic. "But I ended up doing it, and I'm grateful that I did it now because I learned from it and it got me back to the big leagues."

Buchholz has faced the Giants just four times in his career, going 1-0 with a 1.80 ERA over 20 innings.

Yet all eyes figure to be on Giants outfielder Kevin Pillar, who was traded from Toronto to the San Francisco on April 2 after six seasons in Canada.

Known for his highlight plays on defense, Pillar received a warm reception from Blue Jays fans on Tuesday and the team honored him with a video tribute in the middle of the first inning.

Pillar had just one hit in four at-bats Tuesday, with his run-scoring single coming in his first at-bat as a visitor in Toronto.

Blue Jays infielder Freddy Galvis, who has a tight left hamstring, was able to extend his consecutive games-played streak to 349 with a pinch-hit appearance in the ninth inning. He struck out.

--Field Level Media