By Zachary McMahon –
The Boston Red Sox played the series finale against the Toronto Blue Jays at the Rogers
Centre in Toronto on Wednesday night. The Sox were looking to sweep the Blue Jays as they had taken the first two games of the series.
Ceddane Rafaela took an off day in this game. Replacing him at center field was Romy
Gonzalez, while David Hamliton returned to shortstop after spending Tuesday’s game on the bench due to an injury to his left side, although he pinch ran and scored a run in that game.
Brayan Bello started the game for the Sox, as he tried to get back on track after losing his last two starts against the New York Yankees and the Chicago White Sox. Bello pitched six innings, allowed seven hits, two walks, two earned runs, and six strikeouts.
The Blue Jays committed four errors in this game, which the first was when Blue Jays starting pitcher Kevin Gausman tried to pick off Reese McGuire after a walk in the second inning, but missed the throw and McGuire was able to advance to second. But, the Sox were unable to score after Dominic Smith flew out to right to end the inning.
However, it would get worse for Toronto as Addison Barger had a throwing error that allowed Gonzalez to reach, after he stole second after Jarren Duran lined out to left. Hamilton singled, and then a costly error on Kevin Kiermaier allowed Gonzalez to score, and then Hamilton advanced all the way to third base.
However, Tyler O’Neill and Rafael Devers would be the final two outs in the inning so no more damage would be done for then. Enmanuel Valdez hit a solo homer to extend the lead to 2-0 in the fourth, then after two straight singles by Barger and Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Barger scored on a RBI single by Kiermaier for the first run of the game.
Then the Blue Jays tied it up when Kiner-Falefa scored when Justin Turner
grounded into a double play. They were not able to take the lead after Vladimir Guerrero Jr. lined out to Gonzalez to end the inning.
The Sox took back the lead when Duran hit a moonshot to centerfield to make it 3-2. They would never lose the lead as the Sox scored two more runs in the sixth off singles from Gonzalez and Duran.
Justin Slaten pitched the seventh and eighth innings, the seventh started with two straight
singles by Turner and Guerrero Jr. Dalton Varsho struck out and Danny Jansen flew out to Gonzalez, which caused Turner to advance to third. Turner would score on a wild pitch by Slaten while George Springer was in the box. Springer would later strike out ending the Blue Jays chances to using the inning for their comeback efforts.
In the eighth, after singles by Valdez and McGuire, Smith brought Valdez home on an RBI double. McGuire was thrown out at home, and then after Smith scored on an error by Guerrero Jr., but Duran was out on a rundown, which capped off another two-run inning by the Sox.
Chris Martin came back for the first time since being activated off the injured list with anxiety on Tuesday to pitch the ninth, which started off with a single by Spencer Horowitz. Martin would shut down the next three batters, which included a strikeout to Turner, as he closed out the 7-3 win against the Blue Jays to complete the sweep.
This was the Sox’s fourth sweep of the season, and have won eight out of their last ten games, including five straight currently, as the Blue Jays were swept for the first time this season. The Blue Jays are 9-20 when they commit at least one error on the field in a game.
The Sox had eight of their nine players reach base in this game, which Devers was the odd man out as O’Neill went 0-for-4 with a walk. Valdez, Hamilton, and Duran each had two hits in the game for the Sox as Horowitz, Turner, and Barger had two each for the Blue Jays.
The Sox will be taking a travel day on Thursday as they will be traveling to Cincinnati to face Elly De La Cruz and the Cincinnati Reds. Kutter Crawford is expected to go up against Andrew Abbott for the Reds.
Also, right fielder Wilyer Abreu is expected to come back either Friday or Saturday, as he had been doing a rehab assignment in Worcester.
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