All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' 8-2 win over the Blue Jays, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:
BOX SCORE
HEADLINES
Weber shines in spot start: Taking the place of Hector Velazquez as the Red Sox' fill-in starter, Weber made his first start in almost exactly two years and turned in one of the better outings of the season for a Red Sox starting pitcher. Over six innings, he allowed just three hits -- all in the same inning -- and didn't issue a single walk, while striking out four and yielding just one run. Before the game, Alex Cora said he hoped to get somewhere between 12-15 outs from Weber; instead, because of how efficient he was, Weber gave him 18, using 93 pitches to get through six innings. Weber's fastball averaged just over 88 mph for the day and he topped out at 90 mph, but thanks to good movement and even better command, he kept the Jays off-balance. His only challenge came in the second. After allowing three hits and a run to the first three batters that inning, Weber retired 15 of the last 16 hitters he faced, with very few hard-hit balls allowed.
Pearce busts out: The Red Sox have been waiting, patiently, for Steve Pearce to get going at the plate. Until Thursday's matinee, it had been a long and unproductive wait. Pearce came into the day with a sorry slash line of .141/.225/.183, looking absolutely nothing like the player who was the World Series MVP. A year ago, Pearce was the perfect tonic for the Red Sox, who spent the first two months of the 2018 season struggling against lefties. Pearce arrived and helped change all of that. But this year, he couldn't get untracked. He missed two stretches of time in spring training (once with a bug, once with a calf strain) and probably didn't have the at-bats necessary to get ready. It showed, too. But of late, things have been a bit better -- hits in each of his three previous games -- but Thursday represented his best day yet this season with two singles, a homer and three RBI. A day like that could get Pearce going and help turn his season around.
https://twitter.com/RedSox/status/1131643426267643904
Umpire angers both teams with one call: In the bottom of the fourth inning, after Weber seemed to innocently plunk Rowdy Tellez on the butt, home plate umpire Stu Scheurwater decided to issue warning to both dugouts. In the top of the inning, Andrew Benintendi had been hit, too, but that was clearly the result of Toronto starter Clayton Richard having little command. (Richard threw to the backstop a couple of times on the mound, in addition to an errant pickoff throw). Scheurwater's warning seemed to anger both dugouts, a rare feat, as both Alex Cora and Charlie Montoyo came out to take issue with the warning. Meanwhile, players in both dugouts could be seen laughing at the umpire's overreaction. It's laudable for umpires to ensure that things don't get out of control, but Scheurwater only proved that he didn't have a good feel for what was going on on the field.
TURNING POINT
In the second inning of a scoreless game, Weber allowed three straight hits for one run, with runners at second and third. But Weber was able to bear down and get a shallow flyout, an infield popup and a groundout to strand both baserunners. The Jays didn't score again off Weber.
TWO UP
Jackie Bradley Jr.: Bradley has been showing signs of late at the plate and that continued in Thursday's win, with an infield hit in the fifth and a leadoff double in the seventh. For the series, Bradley had six, including four for extra-bases.
Eduardo Nunez: Like Pearce, Nunez may be fighting to keep his roster spot and he, too, had a good afternoon with two singles and a hard lineout.
ONE DOWN
Hector Velazquez: After losing his spot start to Weber, Velazquez got the ninth inning in mop-up duty and promptly allowed a solo homer to the first batter he faced.
QUOTE OF NOTE:
"It feels good to get quality at-bats and have good results. Maybe this is the time where I take off.'' Steve Pearce.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING:
- The Red Sox hit 11 homers in the series, the most they've ever hit in a series against Toronto.
- Boston moved to four games above .500 for the first time this season.
- Andrew Benintendi, who had hit first or second in every other game he's started this season, was dropped to sixth for this one.
- The win was the seventh in a row for the Sox in series finales.
- After starting the year 1-5-3 in their first nine series, the Sox have since gone 5-1-1.