In each of their three visits to Fenway Park this season, the Toronto Blue Jays have racked up a one-sided victory. Back in May, it was an 8-0 win. In June, there was the infamous 18-4 shellacking that features eight homers. And Thursday night, in their final game in Boston for 2021, the Blue Jays did it again, pasting the Sox 13-1.
The Blue Jays committed three errors, left 10 men on base....and still won by a dozen runs.
The Blue Jays climbed to a 4-0 lead in the second inning and chased Eduardo Rodriguez (six runs allowed) by the fourth inning. It kept getting worse from there.
Eventually, at one point, the Red Sox used all three catchers in the infield at some point during the game, with one, Kevin Plawecki, turning in a 1-2-3 ninth inning, just the second time all night the Jays were retired in order.
WHO: Red Sox (63-40) vs. Toronto Blue Jays (50-48)
WHEN: 7:10 p.m.
WHERE: Fenway Park
SEASON SERIES: BOS 9-5
SERIES TO DATE: BOS 2-1
STARTING PITCHERS: LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (7-5, 5.23) vs. LHP Hyun Jin Ryu (9-5, 3.44)
LINEUPS
BLUE JAYS
Springer DH
Guerrero Jr. 1B
Semien 2B
Bichette SS
Hernandez RF
Grichuk CF
Biggio LF
Espinal 3B
McGuire C
RED SOX
Hernandez 2B
Duran CF
Bogaerts SS
Martinez DH
Renfroe RF
Verdugo LF
Vazquez C
Dalbec 3B
Cordero 1B
IN-GAME OBSERVATIONS:
T7: I don't think when the night began we expected a left side of the Red Sox infield to feature Christian Vazquez at third and Bobby Dalbec at short.
T6: Brandon Workman is getting lit up -- five of the first six hitters have hits and three runs are in. Workman's got a 5.40 ERA (and climbing) - hard to see him maintaining a roster spot much longer here.
T5:Two more walks from Phillips Valdez and an absolute laser over everything by Guerrero and the rout is on.
T4: Rodriguez completely loses the strike zone with three straight walks and is chased in his worst outing in some time. Not what the Red Sox want to see from him as they head into the final two months.
T2: After allowing another run, Rodriguez buckles down and fans three hitters in a row. Still, Sox face an uphill climb, down 4-0 against Hyun Jin Ryu.
T2: Rodriguez is fooling no one tonight. Six hits through the first 10 batters Toronto has sent to the plate.
B1: Jarren Duran nearly beats out an infield hit to deep second, but upon review, is called out.
T1: With the infield drawn in, Kike Hernandez cuts down Bo Bichette at the plate on a grounder from Randal Grichuk.
T1: Ugly start here for Eduardo Rodriguez, who has allowed four of the first five Blue Jays to reach, with Teoscar Hernandez slamming a double over the head of Hunter Renfroe to plate two runs.
WHAT'S UP At 63-40 (.612), the Red Sox are tied with the Astros for the AL’s best record. The Sox are 23 games above .500, matching their season high (also 62-39). The Sox have won seven of their last nine games and are 8-4 since the All-Star break...They are 31-17 (.646) in their last 48 games....This is the 12th time the Red Sox have won at least 63 of their first 103 games, having done so most recently in 2018, 2011, and 2007. Under the 10-team playoff format from 2012-19, all 11 teams that won at least 63 of their first 103 games made the postseason, with 4 advancing to the World Series.....The Red Sox lead MLB with 33 come-from-behind wins...They trailed after five innings in 12 of those. According to Elias, the only teams that are unbeaten when holding a lead of four or more runs at any point are the Red Sox (36-0), Brewers (35-0), and Cleveland (23-0)... The Red Sox have begun 32 consecutive days with at least a share of 1st place in the AL East (6/28- 7/29)...Their largest lead of 2021 is 4.5 games. The Sox are 29-14 (.674) vs. AL East teams. 29 of the Sox’ first 32 games out of the All-Star break are vs. the AL East (NYY-10, TOR-10, TB-6, BAL-3, DET-3)....The Red Sox are 9-5 against the Blue Jays this season, having won five of the last six meetings. This is the Blue Jays’ final trip to Boston this season... Following this four-game set, the teams will conclude their season series with four games in Toronto from Aug. 6-8....Red Sox are 33-21 (.611) at home, the third-best record in the AL (eighth-best in MLB)... They are 18-8 (.692) at home since Fenway opened to full capacity on May 29, including 14-4 in their last 18 games...Following tonight’s game, the Red Sox will travel for a 10-day, 10-game trip to play the Rays (3 G), Tigers (3 G), and Blue Jays (4 G)...The Red Sox have the AL’s best road record (30-19, .612), second-best in MLB...They have a 3.83 ERA on the road (seventh in MLB) and a 4.25 ERA at home (21st)...The Red Sox have been charged with no errors in a season-best seven consecutive games...They last had a longer errorless streak in 2018 (10 G). The Red Sox lead MLB with 31 OF assists...Sox outfielders rank third in the AL and seventh in the majors with 15 defensive runs saved (source: FanGraphs)....Red Sox pitchers have allowed four runs or fewer in each of their last nine games, the club’s longest streak since 2018 (14 straight)...In those nine games, the Sox have posted a 3.35 ERA....Since the All-Star break, the Sox rank seventh in the majors in ERA (3.65) and WHIP (1.19). Sox pitchers have allowed only four HR in their last seven games...In this series vs. TOR (23.0 IP), the Sox have struck out 19 batters and walked only four....Red Sox relievers have allowed no runs and issued no walks in their last 11.1 IP....They have not walked any of their last 68 batters faced....Sox relievers rank second in the AL and fifth in MLB in ERA (3.50)...Their eight active relievers have a combined 2.82 ERA for Boston this season (83 ER/265.0 IP). Matt Barnes has allowed no earned runs and one hit since the All-Star break (5.0 IP)...Josh Taylor has allowed no runs in 30 of his last 31 outings (25.2 IP)....Among the 164 pitchers with at least 50.0 innings this season, Garrett Whitlock ranks 1st in the AL and 2nd in the majors with a 1.26 ERA (deGrom-1.08). Whitlock has made 18 scoreless appearances of more than 1.0 IP, most in MLB...He is the first Sox pitcher with 18 such games in a season since Derek Lowe in 1999 (22)...The Sox rank in the top five in the majors in runs scored (third 519), AVG (fourth, .257), SLG (second, .443), OPS (third .764), doubles (first, 221), and XBH (first, 366). The Sox have hit four or more HR in a game an MLB-best 10 times. The Sox own MLB’s best records when scoring four or more runs (56-7, .889) and five or more runs (48-4, .923).
NOTES:
* The Red Sox made a roster move before the game, optioning Tanner Houck to Worcester, and for the time being, keeping three catchers. Catcher Connor Wong was added as the 27th man prior to Wednesday's doubleheader, and the Sox have held onto him. Wong could be optioned back Friday when the Sox activate RHP Hirokazu Sawamura from the IL.
* Meanwhile, Houck won't be in Worcester for long. The Red Sox plan to have him pitch one of the game against Toronto when they have a doubleheader set for Aug. 7. "For now, it makes sense to go somewhere else,'' said Alex Cora of Houck. "He's going to be a big part of what we're trying to accomplish. It just happens that roster-wise, right now, in the coming days, this is what we're doing.''
* Marwin Gonzalez (hamstring) is headed for a rehab assignment in Worcester either Friday or Saturday and will rejoin the team after they finish a series in Detroit next Thursday. Christian Arroyo and Danny Santana are "progressing,'' from groin pulls, though neither has been cleared to begin baseball activities.
* Rafael Devers (quad) received treatment Thursday. "The goal is for him to start (Friday),'' said Cora. "But if he can't, then we'll push him back.'