All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' 4-3 loss to the Blue Jays, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:
BOX SCORE
HEADLINES
Eovaldi can't go deep: Nathan Eovaldi is healthy again, but one thing hasn't changed: he still can't pitch efficiently, and that results in some short outings. On Tuesday night, he threw 93 pitches, but that only got him 13 outs. Once again, the Jays fouled a lot of pitches off, which in turn drove up the pitch count and limited how long he was able to go. In nine starts this season, Eovaldi has gotten out past the sixth just once. Granted, in his first couple of starts last month, he was still building arm strength and the Sox didn't want to push him. But there are no physical restrictions placed on him anymore, but the deep counts and fall balls limit how long he can go. "The thing with him is the foul balls and they will always be there,'' said Alex Cora. "It's frustrating,'' said Eovaldi, "especially with where we are now. I've got to go out and try to go deep into ballgames and I not being able to do that is frustrating.''
Devers makes history: Rafael Devers became the youngest Red Sox player to hit 50 doubles in a season when he lashed a ball down the right-field line in the fifth inning. In Red Sox history, there have only been eight 50-double seasons and at 22, Devers is the youngest to achieve that. Devers also added to his major league-leading 83 extra-base hits, and with 29 homers, he's one homer shy is becoming the first player in 14 years to hit 30 or more homers, knock in 100 or more runs and score 100 or more runs before the age of 23. With another double from Xander Bogaerts (out of the lineup Tuesday), the Sox can become only the third team since 1947 to have two players with 50 or more doubles.
Offense shuts down: The Sox got a solo homer from Mookie Betts on the first pitch of the night, then bunched together three hits in the fifth to score two more. After that, however, the offense dried up. The Sox went in order in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings. The only hit they collected after the fifth came on an infield single to shortstop by pinch-hitter Brock Holt with one out in the ninth. Then again, the offense has been pretty stagnant of late. In the last 10 games, the Sox, who came into the night ranked fourth in runs scored, have scored more than five runs just once.
TURNING POINT
Given how the Sox' lineup was shutdown from the middle of the game onward, early chances loom larger in retrospect. In the second inning, a single and two walks loaded the bases for the Sox. But Toronto rookie starter T.J. Zeuch was able to get Devers to ground out to second, leaving the bases loaded and squandering a big chance for the Sox.
ONE UP
Mookie Betts: Betts did his job at the top of the order, homering on the first pitch of the game, then later reaching twice more on walks.
ONE DOWN
Josh Taylor: The rookie lefty is beginning to show signs of fatigue. He came on in the fifth with an inherited runner and promptly gave up the go-ahead two-run homer, earning the loss.
QUOTE OF NOTE
"We didn't keep the ball in the ballpark. When you do that, you pay the price at this level.'' - Alex Cora.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
- The homer hit by Rowdy Tellez was his sixth this season against the Red Sox.
- Mookie Betts has reached base safely in each of the last 23 games.
- Betts has seven homers in the last 11 games.