Hitting four homers wasn't enough for the Red Sox. Not nearly.
The Toronto Blue Jays still managed to beat them, 10-8, with the help of 10 walks by Red Sox pitching.
The Red Sox once led 4-1 after four, but the Jays ravaged the Boston bullpen for six runs in the fifth and three in the sixth.
The game took 4:23 minutes to complete nine innings, making it the longest game in Toronto's 43-year history.
WHO: Red Sox (14-27) vs. Toronto Blue Jays (21-18)
WHEN: 1:35 p.m.
WHERE: Fenway Park
SEASON SERIES: BOS 5-4
SERIES TO DATE: 2-2
STARTING PITCHERS: RHP Andrew Triggs (0-2., 16.20) vs. LHP Robbie Ray (1-4, 7.34)
TV/RADIO: NESN; WEEI 93.7 FM
LINEUPS:
RED SOX
Munoz RF
Vazquez DH
Bogaerts SS
Martinez LF
Plawecki C
Chavis 1B
Bradley CF
Dalbec 3B
Peraza 2B
BLUE JAYS
Biggio CF
Villar SS
Guerrero Jr. 1B
Tellez DH
Shaw 3B
Gurriel Jr. LF
Panik 2B
Joseph C
Fisher RF
IN-GAME OBSERVATIONS:
B8th: For the second staight game, Xander Bogaerts has homered in the late innings. On Saturday night, he tied the game in the bottom of the ninth. Today, his two-run shot into the CF bleachers brings the Sox to within two in the eighth. Tenth homer of the year, tops on the team.
T8th: Unsurprisingly, Christian Vazquez is now behind the plate with Plawecki out of the game. That means the Sox lose the DH spot the rest of the way.
B7th: Plawecki takes a pitch off his right hand at 95 mph. In a lot of pain, but after a few minutes, decides to stay in the game.
T6th: Well, it had to happen at some point - a homer from Tellez. The only surprise is that it took until the fifth game of the series to happen. Into the CF bleachers.
T5th: Eminently catchable ball on the warning track is misplayed badly by Peraza, who mistimed his leap, allowing two more runs to score. This is one really bad inning.
T5th: Third straight inning in which Red Sox pitching has allowed multiple walks. And it finally bites them. Singles from Gurriel and Panik account for three runs. All three baserunners who crossed the plate got on via walks.
B4th: Bobby Dalbec takes a four-seamer on the outer half and swats it into the bullpen for his second homer in as many games and third in his week-long major league career. Dalbec has contact issues for certain, but he also has incredible strength. Interesting, too, that two of the three homers he's hit have gone oppo.
T4th: Between Triggs and reliever Matt Hall, Red Sox pitchers have issued four walks to the last seven Toronto hitters. Hasn't caught up to them yet, but dangerous way to go.
B3rd: Poor baserunning read by Plawecki there, who, despite having the play in front of him, attempted to go first-to-third on a Wall double by Michael Chavis and is thrown out easily on a throw from Lourdes Gurriel Jr.
T3rd: As casually as one can, Jackie Bradley Jr. drifts back to the deepest part of the triangle and gloves a 410-out from Travis Shaw in front of the garage door, leaving the bases full.
T3rd: Joseph gets the Blue Jays on the board with a solo homer that just reaches the Monster Seats.
B2nd: Munoz left with a mild hip strain.
B1st: Kevin Plawecki connects for his first homer of the season, and it was no cheapie -- smoked to straightaway CF, and into the bleachers in a 3-and-1 four-seamer. Sox have six homers in the last 10 innings.
B1st: Yairo Munoz singles to left to lead off the inning, but tweaked something running to first and has been lifted for pinch-runner Jonathan Arauz. Would expect that Arauz would take over at second and Jose Peraza shifts to RF, where Munoz had been.
T1st: The first inning in the first start for Andrew Triggs is a great one as he strikes out the side -- two looking, one swinging.
PRE-GAME NOTES:
- The Red Sox made a couple of roster moves Sunday morning, recalling LHP Matt Hall from the alternate training site while optioning RHP Robert Stock. Hall had been up briefly as the Red Sox 29th man for Friday's doubleheader before being returned. Stock had appeared in seven games over two stints with the club, going 0-1 with a 5.87 ERA.
- The Sox also added outfielder Marcus Wilson to the club's playing pool. Wilson is part of the 40-man roster, but hadn't been at the alternate training site. He was obtained in the trade that sent Blake Swihart to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
- Alex Verdugo got the afternoon off, as Ron Roenicke thought it was a good idea to give him a day "from all the diving and sliding and back it up with the day off (Monday). He gets banged up some and that why today I have him off.''
- Rafael Devers is also out of the lineup at third, with Bobby Dalbec taking over at the position for the afternoon.
- LHP Josh Taylor has a poor outing Saturday night. Roenicke said Taylor, who had had four scoreless outings before that, "hasn't had his good stuff, his command yet. I think it's just (the fact that) he sat out a month. A month sitting in a hotel room, not being able to do much, really hurt him physically. I don't know if he ever got (in shape). He's trying to catch up. He's just not the same guy he was last year.''
- The Sox will have LHP Martin Perez start the first game in Tuesday's doubleheader, but haven't announced a starter for the second game in Philadelphia.
