All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' loss to the Blue Jays, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:
HEADLINES
Pivetta deserved better: Starter Nick Pivetta gave the Red Sox six shutout innings, allowing just one hit, but was left with a no-decision when Marcus Semien hit the first pitch thrown by closer Matt Barnes in the bottom of the seventh. Pivetta retired the first 14 hitters he faced before yielding a two-out single to Corey Dickerson with two out in the fifth. The only other baserunner against him was a two-out walk to George Springer in the sixth, but Pivetta neutralized him when he got the dangerous Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to hit into an inning-ending forceout. Pivetta flashed a four-seamer that occasionally touched 97 mph and recorded five strikeouts. He consistently stayed ahead of the hitters and needed just 76 pitches through six innings. This was his best outing since he didn't allow any hits to Tampa Bay over 6.2 innings on June 24.
Offense non-existent: The Red Sox were limited to two hits over seven innings by starter Robbie Ray and reliever Jordan Romano - a one-out single from Kevin Plawecki and a single from Jonathan Arauz in the sixth. They managed just four baserunners over seven innings. And, naturally, they were 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position. That's nothing new, of course -- over this recent stretch in which they've dropped eight of the last nine, Since the All-Star break, the Red Sox are now 28th in average runs per game, averaging just 3.67 per contest.
COVID rattles Sox: On Friday, the Sox were forced to place Jarren Duran on the IL-COVID list, where he remains. On Saturday morning, J.D. Martinez joined him. Then, just before gametime came word that bench coach Will Venable had tested positive and first base coach Tom Goodwin was deemed to have been a close contact, reducing the coaching staff by two. To fill in, quality control coach Ramon Vazquez coached first base, leaving Alex Cora without a bench coach. That will be the case as the Sox wrap up the road trip tonight and Sunday in Toronto, with some reinforcements coming from within the system when the Sox begin a homestand. In the meantime, the Sox are back to wearing masks in the dugout and most of the team had to be tested while the game was ongoing.
TURNING POINT
With just two baserunners through the first five innings, the Red Sox finally presented themselves with a chance to get something going in the top of the sixth when Bobby Dalbec worked a leadoff walk and Jonathan Arauz singled to left, giving the Sox runners at first and second and no out. But that opportunity quickly disappeared as Kike Hernandez was rung up on a questionable called third strike, and after a grounder from Alex Verdugo forced Arauz at second, Xander Bogaerts jumped at a pitch out of the strike zone and fouled out to first, stranding runners at the corners.
ONE UP
Other than Pivetta, does not apply.
TWO DOWN
Rafael Devers: Whether he's trying too hard or there's another issue at work, Devers was 0-for-3 with two strikeouts and a harmless groundout to first base.
Xander Bogaerts: Bogaerts, like Devers, seems to be pressing. He was 0-for-3 and has knocked in five runs in his last 18 games.
QUOTE OF NOTE
"For (Pivetta) to go out and pitch toe-to-toe with (Robbie Ray), that was good. That was a good sign. He did an amazing job.'' Alex Cora.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
* The loss was the fourth walk-off defeat of the season for the Red Sox.
* The run allowed by Matt Barnes was the first he's allowed in more than a month, going back to July 4.
* After winning 20-of-28 at Rogers Centre since the start of the 2017 season, the Red Sox have lost two straight there.