Sox Lose Series against Blue Jays, 5-3; Narvaez Homers

By Zachary McMahon-

The Boston Red Sox played a rubber match against the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday afternoon at Fenway Park in Boston, MA. The Sox had a big blowout victory on Saturday on a 15-1 score.

The Blue Jays recalled RHP Justin Bruihl from Triple-A Buffalo and placed RHP Paxton Schultz on the 15-day injured list with right middle finger inflammation. 

Walker Buehler just went four innings for the third straight starts, he allowed four hits, four earned runs, three walks, and three strikeouts.Buehler has gone four or less innings in three straight starts, as this was the second time he’s done this in the same season, and the first time since last season with the Los Angeles Dodgers.  

Eric Lauer pitched 4 ⅓ innings for the Blue Jays, he made his first start since May 17th against the Detroit Tigers. He allowed seven hits, three earned runs, no walks, and four strikeouts. This was the most amount of his he’s allowed since Sept. 30, 2023 with the Milwaukee Brewers against the Chicago Cubs when he allowed nine. 

Addison Barger got things going for the Blue Jays in the first nine, as he extended his career long 18-game on-base streak with a solo home run. He also now has hits in his last five games. 

In the next at-bat Vladimir Guerrero Jr also hit a homer as it was the third time that the Blue Jays have hit back-to-back home runs this season. 

Carlos Narvaez cut the deficit in half in the second inning, and then Ceddane Rafaela tied it up with an RBI double that brought home Trevor Story.

In the fourth inning, the Blue Jays had their first two batters retired, as Vladimir Guerrero Jr. lined out and George Springer grounded out. However, Nathan Lukes hit an infield single, Ernie Clement, and Andres Gimenez helped the Blue Jays retake the lead with a RBI single. After Gimenez stole second base, Jonathan Clase and former Sox catcher Tyler Heineman had back-to-back walks, and loaded the bases and brought in another run. Heineman was picked off at first base for the third out of the inning. 

Lukes padded the lead in the fifth inning with a RBI single, which brought home Bo Bichette, as they led 5-2. 

Romy Gonzalez hit a RBI Double in the fifth inning for the Sox, as the Sox cut the deficit to 5-3, but the Sox were unable to score another run as four different Blue Jays relievers were able to shut down the Sox offense, including Jeff Hoffman who struck out all three batters he’s faced for his 18th save of the season, as the Sox lost 5-3 to the Blue Jays, and lost their third straight series and seven out of their last eight games. 

Roman Anthony hit two singles as he’s had multiple hits in back-to-back games for the first time in his career. He’s the youngest Sox player to have his first career such streak since Rafael Devers at 20 years old in his rookie season in 2017. 

Narvaez also walked in the eighth inning, as he’s reached multiple times in back-to-back games for the eighth time this season, and has not gone more than two games in his career so far. 

Jarren Duran tripled in the sixth inning with his ninth triple of the season, as he’s the first Sox player to have nine or more triples in two straight seasons since Jim Rice had 15 in both the 1977 & 1978 seasons. 

The Blue Jays drew four walks in the game, as they have drew multiple walks in the last seven games, and the Sox had drew multiple walks in the last seven games coming into this one, but only had one which was with Narvaez. 

Springer snapped his seven-game hitting streak but has extended his on-base streak to nine games with a walk. Lukes hit two singles, as he got his 10th multi-hit game of the season. 

The Sox will play on Monday against Elly De La Cruz and the Cincinnati Reds, while the Blue Jays will go back up north to host the New York Yankees, also on Monday.