Overcoming an inning of comically bad baserunning, the Red Sox rallied to tie the game in the sixth and take their first lead in the top of the eighth to edge the Toronto Blue Jays, 2-1, giving them a split of a doubleheader.
Alex Verdugo homered to tie the game in the sixth. In the eighth, with the automatic runner on second, Jonathan Arauz drilled a single up the middle to score Franchy Cordero.
In the seventh inning, the Sox made three outs during the same plate apperance with a pickoff and a caught stealing on a delayed steal.
LINEUPS
RED SOX
Hernandez CF
Verdugo LF
Bogaerts DH
Devers 3B
Renfroe RF
Gonzalez 2B
Vazquez C
Cordero 1B
Arauz 2B
BLUE JAYS
Springer DH
Guerrero 1B
Semien 2B
Bichette SS
Hernandez RF
Dickerson LF
Grichuk CF
Valera 3B
McGuire C
IN-GAME OBSERVATIONS:
T8: It took 15 innings, but the Red Sox have their first lead of the day. Jonathan Arauz drives a single up the middle to deliver Franchy Cordero from second.
B7: The Red Sox came within about a foot of being walked off twice within hours, but Kike Hernandez makes a leaping catch on a blast by Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
T7: No plausible explanation for what Christian Vazquez just attempted. None. Zero.
T7: Wow. Marwin Gonzalez, representing the go-ahead run at second base, gets himself picked off. Tremendous blunder.
T6: With Rafael Devers at second, Bo Bichette saves a run for the Jays, going into the hole to snag a hot smash by Hunter Renfroe, then making a strong throw, picked by Guerrero at first, for the final out of the sixth.
T6: Alex Verdugo, who has been the only Red Sox hitter who's been producing the last few days, hammers a curveball left up over the fence in right center.
B4: Naturally, with the way things are going, the move backfires as Taylor allows a run-scoring single to Valera.
B4: That's it for Houck, who is lifted after 3.2 scoreless innings, responsible for two baserunners, at 74 pitches. Josh Taylor on.
T4: The Red Sox have played 11 innings today and are still looking for their first run. Frustration abounds.
B2: Tanner Houck gets himself out of a little jam -- first-and-second, one-out - by getting Breyvic Valera to fly to center and Reese McGuire to line softly to third.
GAME 1:
Inventing new ways to lose, the Red Sox dropped their eighth game in their last nine tries, a 1-0 defeat as Marcus Semien hit the first pitch thrown by Matt Barnes in the seventh inning for a walk-off loss for the Sox in the first game of a doubleheader at Rogers Centre.
Nick Pivetta allowed just one hit over six shutout innings, but the Sox couldn't produce any support for him.
The Sox' best chance came in the in the sixth when the Sox put the first two runners on base, but couldn't take advantage of the scoring chance.
WHO: Red Sox (64-47) vs. Toronto Blue Jays (58-49)
WHEN: 3:07 p.m., Game 1
WHERE: Rogers Centre
SEASON SERIES TO DATE: BOS 9-7
SERIES TO DATE: TOR 1-0
STARTING PITCHERS: RHP Nick Pivetta (8-5, 4.57) vs. LHP Robbie Ray (9-5, 3.04)
TV/RADIO: NESN; WEEI-FM 93.7
LINEUPS
RED SOX
Hernandez CF
Verdugo LF
Bogaerts SS
Devers 3B
Renfroe RF
Plawecki C
Vazquez C
Dalbec 1B
Arauz 2B
BLUE JAYS
Springer CF
Guerrero Jr. DH
Semien 2B
Bichette SS
Hernandez RF
Dickerson LF
Kirk C
Gurriel Jr. 1B
Espinal 3B
IN-GAME OBSERVATIONS:
B6: Pivetta works around a two-out walk to George Springer, getting Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on a force out to end the inning. Looks like that's it for Pivetta, who allows just two baserunners -- one walk, one single -- over six inning, requiring 76 pitches.
T6: Yet another missed opportunity for the Red Sox lineup - first-and-second with no out, and yet, no run scored.
B5: Alex Verdugo battles the lights at Rogers Centre, but makes a catch of a sinking liner. He makes that play -- coming in on a ball that's dropping -- as well as any outfielder.
T5: First hit -- for either team -- as Kevin Plawecki drives a ground ball between third and short, giving the Sox a baserunner with one out in the fifth.
T4: After a leadoff walk to start the game for Kike Hernandez, Red Sox have not had a baserunner. Robbie Ray has retired the last 12 Sox hitters in a row. Jays, meanwhile, have not had a baserunner as he head to the bottom of the fourth.
B2: In the early going, Nick Pivetta has bee n overpowering at times, fanning the last three in succession. His four-seamer has touched 97 mph. Also, working at his usual brisk pace, establishing a fast rhythm.
WHAT's UP: The Red Sox have lost seven of their last eight games...They are 9-11 since the All-Star break and 64-47 (.577) overall, the fourth-best record in the AL. The Sox’ 31-25 (.554) road record ranks fourth in the AL and tied for seventh in the majors....The Red Sox trail the Rays by 2.5 game...The Sox’ largest deficit of the season is 3.0 games, and their largest lead of 2021 is 4.5 games....Xander Bogaerts played in his 1,005th game at shortstop last night (all with the Red Sox), breaking a tie with Rick Burleson for the second -most games at SS in Red Sox history. He trails only Everett Scott (1,093). Since the star of 2018, Bogaerts ranks either first or second among MLB shortstops in AVG (first .301), OBP (second .372), OPS (third, XBH (second, 221), hits (second, 514), doubles (first 135), and RBI (first, 303).,...In their first nine games out of the All-Star break, Red Sox starters posted a 3.50 ERA; in 11 games since, they have an 8.40 ERA... Yairo Muñoz extended his hitting streak with Triple-A Worcester to 28 games Friday, extending the modern day Red Sox Triple-A record...The previous record of 25 games was set by Jacoby Ellsbury in 2007. Muñoz’s streak is the longest in the minors this season...During the streak, which began on 7/1, he has hit .383 with a .944 OPS ....Nick Yorke—the Red Sox’ top selection in the 2020 June Draft—has a .456 OBP with 14 XBH during his current 36-game on-base streak with Low-A Salem, hitting safely in each of his last 17 games (.338 AVG)....The Red Sox are 9-7 against the Blue Jays this season, having won five of the last eight meetings...This four-game set concludes the teams’ season series. This series is the Sox’ 1st time playing at Rogers Centre since September 2019.....They are 20-9 (.690) at Rogers Centre since the start of 2017....Sox pitchers allowed eight runs on Thursday and 12 runs last night...They had given up four runs or fewer in 12 of their previous 14 games. In their last six games, the Sox have struck out 64 batters and walked 15...In their last 34 games, Sox pitchers rank fourth in the majors in SO/BB ratio (3.27; 311 SO, 95 BB).... Sox relievers rank fifth in the AL and 10th in MLB in ERA (3.70)...The Sox have averaged 3.1 runs per game in the last 13 games, posting a .248 AVG and .696 OPS with 10 HR. Overall, the Red Sox rank in the top five in the majors in AVG (fourth, .256), SLG (third , .437), doubles (first, 231), and XBH (first, 385). ...The Sox have committed only 4 errors in their last 15 games (beginning 7/22), posting a .992 fielding percentage...Nick Pivetta has thrown six or more innings in nine of his 21 starts, and five or more innings in 15 of them....He leads Sox starters in opponent AVG (.235) and ranks second in WHIP (1.32), SO/9.0 IP (10.09), and strikeouts (126)....Bo Bichette is 7-for-12 with two homers in his career of Pivetta while Corey Dickerson is 4-for-10 with a homer.
NOTES:
* The Red Sox have another COVID scare on their hands, with DH J.D. Martinez being placed on the IL-COVID list. "He felt sick last night and feels sick the whole day,' said Alex Cora. "He's going to go through testing.'' To take Martinez's spot, the Sox recalled C Connor Wong. Martinez is quarantined in the team's hotel.
* OF Jarren Duran remains on the IL-COVID list and "isn't feeling great,'' said Cora. The Sox are awaiting the results of testing.
* Cora admitted that the Sox are dragging some without the benefit of some of their veteran utility players. "We're missing three important guys as far as versatility and moving guys around,'' said Cora. "Danny (Santana), Christian (Arroyo) and Marwin (Gonalez, who returned recently) are very important for what we're trying to accomplish. As far as our roster, we're missing those guys. But at the same time, other guys have to step up. Whoever's here, has a job to do and we're counting on them. Right now, we're not clicking as a unit. We need production from guys other than the (big) four or five.''
* Matt Andriese is set to throw an inning in relief of Chris Sale. Ryan Brasier to set to throw some live BP. Arroyo and Santana have started hitting and baseball activities in addition to their running programs.