Except translation, this story has not been edited by achinews staff and is published from a syndicated feed.
TORONTO – The Boston Red Sox kept their slim playoff hopes alive with a 6-5 come-from-behind victory in 10 innings against the fading Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday night.
Red Sox reliever Chris Martin picked up his third win of the season. Blue Jays reliever Tommy Nance took the loss, dropping him to 0-3.
The Red Sox, who have won four games in a row, improved to 80-78, while the Blue Jays dropped their fifth game in a row and are now a season-high 12 games below .500 at 73-85.
“The guys did an amazing job of battling all the way to the end,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “We used everybody. It was one of the most satisfying wins since I’ve been here.”
Blue Jays shortstop Bowden Francis was his typical dominant self to start the game, striking out the first two batters he faced before retiring first baseman Triston Casas with a weak fly out.
The 28-year-old continued his dominant second half by pitching five shutout innings on Tuesday, allowing just three hits and one walk while striking out four.
“Another outstanding effort,” Blue Jays manager Schneider told his first team. “Just filling the zone, positioning well. I can’t say enough about how the season ended.”
Shortstop Trevor Story started the game’s offensive festivities with a double to lead off the second inning and then advanced to third on a groundout by left fielder Masataka Yoshida. But Francis would work himself out of trouble soon after, drawing the softballs of second baseman Vaughn Grissom and right fielder Wilyer Abreu to keep the Red Sox off the scoreboard.
Stepping to the plate as an opponent for the first time at the Rogers Center, Red Sox catcher Danny Jansen grounded to third to start the third inning. Jarren Duran would reach base with one out soon after, but Francis would manage to escape, as he did many times on the night, by striking out third baseman Romy Gonzalez to retire the team.
Center fielder Joey Loperfido walked to start the bottom of the third and then stole second to put the Blue Jays’ first runner in scoring position. Left fielder Nathan Lukes walked as well soon after, giving way to slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who ripped a double off the center field wall to score both runners and give the Blue Jays a 2-0 lead. .
Guerrero Jr. won. RBI No. 102 on the season, making him one of only 11 MLB players with over 100 in 2024.
Right-hander Lucas Sims came out of the bullpen to relieve Brayan Bello in the sixth, giving up a walk to second baseman Davis Schneider. The Blue Jays would add to their lead as George Springer doubled off the wall in left center one batter later before Nathan Lukes scored Schneider with a sacrifice fly, giving Toronto a 3-0 lead.
Boston would not go away quietly, however, as the Red Sox started the sixth inning by loading the bases on right-handed reliever Ryan Burr, setting up the leadoff run at the plate in Ceddanne Rafaela. Rafaela then singled through the gap at short to score two runners and cut the Blue Jays’ lead to one. Burr would limit the damage on the next at-bat, though, striking out Duran swinging.
The Blue Jays bullpen continued its weaknesses in closing games, as left-hander Genesis Cabrera would play a setup role for Toronto entering the eighth inning and proceeded to give up back-to-back singles to give the runners on first and third. Yoshida wasted little time tying the game in the next at-bat, bringing home Gonzalez on a hit.
The run marked Cabrera’s third stunning save of the season and yielded to Chad Green coming into the game shortly after and keeping the game tied by getting pinch hitter Nick Sogard to fly out to the left field.
With their postseason fate hanging in the balance, the Red Sox sent Martin out to pitch the ninth for the second night in a row. After walking Addison Barger, Martin got Clement to ground out into a double play and Davis Schneider to strike out swinging to send the game into extra innings.
“It’s a testament to who we are as a group, that we’re never out of a fight,” said Grissom’s return from the Red Sox.
“That’s what you need. The best teams are never out of the fight. That’s huge.”
Right-hander Tommy Nance entered the game for the Blue Jays in the 10th inning and immediately found himself in trouble, as Story doubled to bring home two runners and give the Red Sox their first win of the game. Grissom would add an insurance run on a single to left field as the Red Sox held off a surge by the Blue Jays in the bottom half of the 10th to secure the win.
UP NEXT
Toronto RHP Kevin Gausman (13-11, 3.91 ERA) is scheduled to make his final start of the season in Wednesday’s series finale. Red Sox RHP Richard Fitts (0-0, 0.00) is about to make his fourth career start.
This report was first published by The Canadian Press on September 24, 2024.
(Except translation, this story has not been edited by achinews staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
source link https://canadanewsmedia.ca/red-sox-rally-to-beat-blue-jays-6-5-in-10-innings/
