By Zachary McMahon –
The Boston Red Sox played the second game of their series against the Toronto Blue Jays at the Rogers Centre in Toronto. The Sox took the first game off a four home run team
performance, including two from Tyler O’Neill.
David Hamliton was benched for this game after injuring his left side in Monday’s game. So, Ceddane Rafaela moved to shortstop, Jarren Duran to center, Rob Refsnyder to left field, and Tyler O’Neill to right field, and Masataka Yoshida was designated hitter.
Chris Martin was activated off the injured list for anxiety, although he did not pitch in this game, and Cooper Criswell was sent down to Worcester, so the starter for the Sox on Friday against the Cincinnati Reds in which Criswell was due to start, is currently unknown.
Before the game, the Blue Jays sent Bo Bichette to the 10-day injured list, so that Isiah Kiner-Falefa started at shortstop in his place.
Tanner Houck started for the Sox as they have won each of his last five starts up to this
point. He pitched 5 ⅔ innings, allowed six hits, two earned runs, two walks, and five strikeouts.
Chris Bassit started for the Blue Jays, going six innings, allowing seven hits, two earned runs,
two walks, and six strikeouts. O’Neill doubled to lead off the second inning, and then after Reese McGuire and Yoshida went up Smith brought O’Neill home as the Sox struck first.
Ernie Clement hit a two-run single in the right center gap for the Blue Jays to take the lead, 2-1 in the bottom half of the second. Yoshida tied the game up at two in the sixth with a two-out single that scored Rafael Devers,
who came in on a double.
Then, in the bottom half of the inning, after Dalton Varsho reached on an error by Enmanuel Valdez, and then stole second, a walk to Justin Turner. Addison Barger flew out, and then Varsho was out on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Alejandro Kirk.
Kiner-Falefa brought home Turner, and then Zack Kelly came in as both Kirk and Kiner-Falefa advanced on the throw to home plate, putting the Sox in a jam. Kelly was able to fly out Clement to end the inning so that
no more damage could be done in the sixth as the Blue Jays had the lead 3-2.
Kelly then threw a shutout seventh inning, retiring all three batters he faced in the inning, including a strikeout to Davis Schneider. Following this, the Sox tied it back up with a solo homer by O’Neill, and then Dominic Smith hit a single, and then pinch ran by Hamliton after Chad Green came in relief of Brad Little, who stole second and then came in on Rafaela’s RBI single for the lead, which was his third hit of the game.
Hamilton did not stay in the game, however, as Bobby Dalbec would replace Smith over at first at the bottom half of the eighth. Brennan Bernadino started out in the eighth, Varsho reached on an infield single, and then
Turner flied out to Duran, and George Springer, who pinch hit for Barger, flew out to O’Neill.
Justin Slaten came in and got the final out on a pop out by Kirk. Kenley Jansen pitched the ninth, as he got Kiner-Falefa and Clement to fly out to O’Neil, and then struck out Danny Jansen, who pinch hit for Kevin Kiermaier, to make his 13th save on his 14th chance this season as the Sox won 4-3.
Kelly got his first win since his rookie season in 2022, while Little got the loss for the Blue Jays. The Sox have also won their seventh game out of their last nine. The Sox will try to get the sweep on Wednesday as Brayan Bello gets the nod with Kevin Gausman due to start for the Blue Jays.
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