BSJ Game Report: Blue Jays 6, Red Sox 5 (10) -- Sox come from behind, then give it away

All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' loss to the Blue Jays, complete with BSJ analysis and insight: 

BOX SCORE

HEADLINES 

Bullpen implodes: For the second time in the last four games, the Red Sox lost a game in walk-off fashion. On Saturday, they carried a lead into the bottom of the 10th before Kevin Kiermaier ended things with a homer. On Tuesday, it wasn't as spectacular a finish in the 10th as the winning run scored on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly by Raimel Tapia. But the big meltdown had actually come an inning earlier. The Red Sox took a three-run lead into the bottom of the ninth before back-to-back doubles off Jake Dieman brought the Jays back to within two. After Diekman fanned the next two hitters, the Sox were an out away from securing a huge victory. Instead, Diekman fed George Springer four straight fastballs. On the fourth, a 1-and-2 pitch, Springer clubbed it to center for a two-run game-tying homer, evoking memories of Springer's walk-off homer off Matt Barnes at Rogers Centre last September. 

Offense comes to life: The loss was the more demoralizing because the Sox had finally gotten the bats going in the eighth inning. Limited to a single run over the first seven innings, the Sox stitched together four hits and a sacrifice fly in the eighth to flip a 2-1 deficit into a 5-2 lead. The big hit of the inning was a bullet line drive off the left-field wall from Trevor Story, scoring Rafael Devers with the tying run. A sacrifice fly from Alex Verdugo put the Sox ahead for the first time all night, and Xander Bogaerts followed with a run-scoring double. An RBI single from Kike Hernandez kept things going. The four runs in the eighth represented the biggest inning for the Sox since April 17, and were more than the Sox had managed in seven of their previous eight games. It would not be enough.

Pivetta takes step forward: Starter Nick Pivetta didn't factor in the decision. He didn't even pitch a full five innings to have qualified for a win. But his outing was far better than anything he showed in the first three starts of the season. He struggled mightily in the third and fourth innings, needing 59 pitches in the two innings combined, hampered by four walks. That, in turn, drove up his pitch count to 98 pitches, forcing his removal after just 4.2 innings. But with a far sharper bite to his curveball and improved velocity on his fastball, this looked more like the Pivetta of 2021, rather than the guy who has fashioned a 10.03 ERA in his three previous starts.

TURNING POINT

Having coughed up the lead in the bottom of the ninth, the Sox had a chance to pull ahead again in the top of the 10th. With Trevor Story as the automatic runner, a groundout to the right side moved Story over to third. But with Xander Bogaerts at the plate, the shortstop hit a bullet....right back to closer Jordan Romano, who knocked it down, recovered and threw out Bogaerts at first for the second out. Story had to stay put and was left stranded when J.D. Martinez struck out. Instead of leading by a run heading into the bottom of the 10th, they were tied, and soon, behind for good.

ONE UP

Austin Davis: The lefty was one of the few relievers who did his job on this night. He got five huge outs in the sixth and seventh to keep the Sox in the game.

TWO DOWN

J.D. Martinez: The DH had a double to lead off the second, but was without a hit in his next four plate appearances, each one coming with runners on base.

Bobby Dalbec: It's not getting any better for the slumping first baseman. He struck out three more times before finally working a walk in the ninth inning.

QUOTE OF NOTE

"Honestly, I think we just move on to tomorrow. It's still early in the season, still a lot of baseball to play. These moments don't define us at all. It's what we do tomorrow to come back, come strong. These moments are tough, but (it's all about) we move on from this.'' - Nick Pivetta on the loss.

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

* Xander Bogaerts has already had six three-hit games in the first 18 games.

* The loss was dropped the Red Sox to 3-8 in the American League East.

* The Red Sox have just one homer in their last eight games.

* Toronto is 4-1 against the Sox this season.

* The Sox fell to 0-3 in extra-inning games this season, all of them on the road.

UP NEXT

The Red Sox and Blue Jays play the third game of the series Wednesday at 7:07 p.m. with RHP Michael Wacha (1-0, 1.88) vs. RHP Ross Stripling (0-0, 4.50).