By Zachary McMahon –
The Boston Red Sox hosted the Toronto Blue Jays for the second game of their series on
Tuesday night. The Sox took the first game after a comeback that ended up in a walk-off single by Jarren Duran in the bottom of the ninth.
Reese McGuire started for the second straight game at catcher after Connor Wong was put on the paternity list on Monday due to the birth of his child. After hitting a homer in Monday’s win, David Hamliton did not play in this game, as Ceddane Rafaela started at shortstop, and then Romy Gonzalez later took over the spot after pinch hitting for Wilyer Abreu.
The Red Sox had Brayan Bello on the bump for the club, although he only lasted until the third inning, as he would allow seven runs in just 2 ⅓ innings. The Sox would strike first with a solo homer by Rafael Devers in the second inning as he would hit a homer for the second straight game, score a run for the third straight game, and get a hit for his fourth straight game.
Tyler O’Neill reached third base on an error on Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and then scored on an RBI double by Masataka Yoshida, as they ended the second inning on a 2-0 lead. However, the Blue Jays blew the lid wide open when they scored seven runs in the third inning.
The Jays tied it up when Danny Jansen and Isiah Kiner-Falefa both scored on a throwing error by Wilyer Abreu that caused Kevin Kiermaier to go to third base, after he singled. Bello loaded up the bases with walks to Bo Bichette and Spencer Horowitz, Guerrero Jr., would bring Kiermaier and Bichette home on a two-run double to take the lead.
After a RBI groundout by Justin Turner, who in his return series at Fenway Park after spending last season on the Sox, George Springer hit a two-run homer, which would cause Bello to get taken out.
Greg Weissert came in to finish the inning as he was able to retire Addison Barger and Jansen. The Blue Jays would add two more runs in the fourth off a double by Guerrero Jr., but Josh Winckowski would pitch the remaining six innings, as he did not allow any runs after the Guerrero double.
Winckowski got his second appearance since being called up on Monday along with Isiah Campbell as they were the fresh arms out of the bullpen after the bullpen game on Sunday against the Cincinnati Reds. He allowed six hits, a walk, and struck out eight, which is a career high in the majors.
The Sox, however, unlike in Monday’s game, were unable to come back after they scored two runs on a home run by O’Neill to make it 9-4. Kevin Gausman went six innings for the Blue Jays, allowing four runs (three earned), five hits, one walk and five strikeouts.
Then, in the final three innings, the Blue Jays relievers Brad Little, Trevor Richards and Chad Green all did not allow a single hit. After Little allowed walks to Enmanuel Valdez and Gonzalez, the pitching staff would retire the final seven batters to end the game.
This would end a three-game winning streak for the Sox, who entered the game winning 10 of their previous 12, which included winning the first four games in the season series against the Blue Jays, after sweeping them in a three-game series in Toronto last week. Also entering the game, Duran had a 14-game hitting streak that ended when he went 0-for-5, including when he was struck out in his final two at bats in the seventh and ninth.
The longest current hitting streak belongs to Wong who has hit in his last 13 games, and will look to continue this streak when he comes back from his paternity leave, in which he will probably return on Friday against the San Diego Padres. After the game, Red Sox manager Alex Cora gave a positive update on the recovery status of Triston Casas, as he got an MRI on Tuesday, and he said that he may start swinging again this week.
Casas was due to come back on June 21 off the 60-day injured list but is aiming to return by July 1 in time for the three-game series against the Miami Marlins, according to
Boston.com Sports Producer Conor Roche.
The Sox will try to win their fifth straight series in the rubber match against the Blue Jays on Wednesday at 7:10 first pitch, when Kutter Crawford goes up for the Sox against Yariel Rodriguez on NESN and on ESPN+ outside the New England market.
NewsTalk New England 