(Sports Network) - Rookie phenom Clay Buchholz makes his first mound appearance of the 2008 season today, when the Boston Red Sox continue a three- game series with the host Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.

The 23-year-old Texan and a supplemental round draft choice of Boston in 2005, Buchholz reached the majors with a brief stint at the tail end of 2007 and went 3-1 in four appearances, including three starts. In only his second big- league game, the right-hander no-hit the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park on September 1.

Buchholz faced the Blue Jays once last year and suffered his lone defeat after allowing five hits and an earned run in 4 2/3 innings. Overall, he surrendered 14 hits and four earned runs in 22 2/3 innings with Boston.

Floridian Jesse Litsch returns for his second big-league season with Toronto and will oppose Buchholz tonight.

The 23-year-old made 20 starts for the Blue Jays in 2007, going 7-9 with a 3.81 earned run average in 111 innings while allowing 116 hits and striking out 50.

He started three times against the Red Sox, going 2-1 with a 4.86 ERA in 16 2/3 innings.

In Friday's series opener, Frank Thomas smacked a two-run double and Shaun Marcum pitched seven strong innings to lead the Blue Jays past the Red Sox, 6-3.

Marcum allowed just three runs on three hits and struck out eight as the Blue Jays improved to 2-2 on the young season. Jeremy Accardo pitched a scoreless ninth to record his second save in the season's opening week.

Matt Stairs added a solo homer for Toronto, while Lyle Overbay and Aaron Hill each went 2-for-4 with a run batted in.

Boston's Tim Wakefield was solid over six innings in a no decision, allowing three runs on six hits while striking out four for the Red Sox, who had a two- game win streak snapped. David Aardsma, Javier Lopez and Manny Delcarmen combined to allow the three deciding runs in relief, with Aardsma being saddled with the loss.

J.D. Drew hit a three-run homer in the seventh inning to provide the Boston offense. The Red Sox were limited to four hits while striking out nine times.

Toronto split its 18 matchups with the Red Sox last season, but has gone 33-23 against them since the start of the 2005 campaign, including an 18-11 mark at the Rogers Centre in that time.