All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' 5-4 win over the Blue Jays, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:
BOX SCORE
HEADLINES
Devers does the damage: The Red Sox' third baseman has had a breakout season and Wednesday night may have been one of his best games of the year. He homered in the second, doubled home two more in the fourth and singled home a vitally important insurance run in the eighth. In all, he knocked in three of the four runs and scored another. Over his last 28 games, Devers has knocked in 30 and is hitting .398 in that span with nine homers. "Quality at-bats, hard contact, making adjustments, going the other way...'' said Alex Cora. "It's fun to watch. He's stayed in the process and listened to what (the hitting coaches) were preaching about staying in the strike zone and hitting the ball in the air, and now we see this. It's great to see him performing that way.''
Workman staggers to the finish line: It wasn't planned this way, but Brandon Workman threw a staggering 45 pitches to get the final five outs. He came on earlier than expected to bail out Josh Taylor in the eighth for the final two outs, then needed 29 pitches to get the final three outs in the ninth. "He's been outstanding all season,'' said Cora. Cora basically has two high-leverage relievers whom he trusts, but they can't pitch every night. The Sox are hopeful that Nathan Eovaldi can be added to the mix this weekend in Baltimore after a brief rehab assignment with Pawtucket. "I didn't expect him to get five outs today,'' said Cora. "We've got to get better. I do feel that, come tomorrow, we win the series and then everything's going to settle down. We've got some power arms in the bullpen and it's just a matter of keep getting quality starts from our starters.''
Rodriguez does the job: Starter Eduardo Rodriguez continues to make strides in the rotation, boasting improved fastball command to go with a plus changeup. Over his last four starts, Rodriguez has a 2.28 ERA and in his last 10, he's 7-1 with a 3.38 ERA. He's also gotten an out in the seventh seven times this season, the most by any Red Sox starter. "He's getting better,'' said Cora. "Overall, in the last month and a half, he's been very consistent.'' Rodriguez said he's focused on going as deep as he can every time out, mindful of the stress that's been placed on the team's relievers. "I felt good,'' he said. "I was using all my pitches pretty good and overall, I feel pretty good about the result.''
TURNING POINT
A head's up play by catcher Christian Vazquez was key to getting out of the seventh-inning jam. With the bases loaded and two out, Matt Barnes struck out Toronto's Eric Sogard. But the third strike got away from Vazquez, who scrambled to corral the ball a few feet from the plate. Instead of making the long throw to first, Vazquez merely stepped on the plate to get the forceout on Cavan Biggio, the runner from third, heading to the plate.
TWO UP
Matt Barnes: Barnes inherited two baserunners in the seventh, and after issuing a walk to the first hitter he faced, struck out the next two, ending the Toronto threat. He hasn't allowed a run in his last six outings.
Brock Holt: Holt collected three hits, lifting his average to .350 for the season. He's not batting .406 with RISP this year.
ONE DOWN
Josh Taylor: The plan was for Taylor to pitch the eighth, leaving Workman for the ninth. But that was scuttled when Taylor allowed a homer, hit a batter and walked another.
QUOTE OF NOTE
"I told Dana (LeVangie) at one point, 'It's him. It's either him or him.''' Alex Cora on Brandon Workman, who walked a tightrope in the eighth and ninth to get the final five outs.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
- The Sox have homered in 16 of their last 17 games.
- Devers has knocked in 21 runs against Toronto this season, the most by a Red Sox player in a single season against the Jays.
- Jackie Bradley Jr. recorded his seventh OF assist of the year.
- Mookie Betts has scored at least one run in 23 of his last 25 games.