All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' loss to the Blue Jays, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:
HEADLINES
Bullpen can't hold on in ninth: This was the Red Sox' nightmare scenario come to life: without the use of Tanner Houck, ineligible for the series because of his vaccination status, the Sox had to find other options for the ninth inning to protect a lead and failed to do so. After Tyler Danish pitched a scoreless eighth inning, Alex Cora brought him back for the ninth, and Danish proceeded to allow a hit and a walk to the first two batters he faced. In came Hansel Robles (7.71 ERA in the ninth inning this season), who allowed a game-tying single to Bo Bichette and a game-winning single to Vladimir Guerrero Jr., turning what had been a 5-4 Red Sox' lead into a stinging 6-5 walk-off loss.
Refsnyder stars: The Sox are without both Kike Hernandez and Jarren Duran in this series, so Refsnyder is getting plenty of playing time and Tuesday, he made the most of it. Refsnyder delivered the Red Sox' second run of the night with a groundout to plate Christian Vazquez in the fifth. But his biggest contribution came in the seventh inning. With time running out and the Sox down by two. Refsnyder belted a two-run homer off Toronto reliever Trent Thornton, tying the game at 4-4 and giving the Sox some late-inning life. When Hernandez does come back, it's likely the Sox will have to choose between Duran and Refsnyder as their extra outfielder, and Refsnyder is making the case that he should be the guy who remains on the roster.
Wacha has a rare off-night: Starter Michael Wacha dug an early hole, falling behind in the first inning, 3-0, largely because of some control issues that saw him walk the second and third hitters he faced. After the first inning, Wacha allowed just one more run -- it came in the fifth on a Santiago Espinal run-scoring single, but he had a lot of traffic all night. The fourth inning was the only one in which he retired three hitters in a row. In all, Wacha allowed seven hits to go with the three walks, all of which served to drive his pitch count up to the point where he needed 90 pitches to record just 15 outs. Before the game, the Sox announced that Wacha would get an extra day before his next start, so maybe there's a bit of fatigue in play, helping to explain his struggles Tuesday.
TURNING POINT
The Red Sox had already gone ahead in the eighth inning on a run-scoring single from Christian Vazquez and were poised to produce more, with the bases loaded and just one out. The Blue Jays were on the ropes. But Christian Arroyo lined out to second base, and Vazquez, breaking from second without seeing whether the ball got through the infield, got easily doubled up at second, ending the threat. Another run would have been helpful when the Sox melted down in the bottom of the ninth.
TWO UP
Alex Verdugo: The outfielder has had a strong June and that continued with two hits in four trips to the plate.
Christian Vazquez: Vazquez singled and scored the second run in the fifth, then supplied the go-ahead run with an RBI single in the eighth that looked for a time to be the game-winner.
TWO DOWN
J.D. Martinez: Among the most consistent of performers all season, Martinez was 0-for-5 with strikeouts and is now 0-for-9 in the series.
Rafael Devers: Devers has a base hit in the seventh, but took a called third strike in the first, flied out in the third with a runner on popped up with a runner on third to end the fifth.
QUOTE OF NOTE
"We go with the 26 that are here. We tried to get 27 outs and we didn't do it.'' Alex Cora on trying to nail down the ninth without Tanner Houck.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
* After reaching base safely in each of his 30 road games, J.D. Martinez has now gone two straight road games without getting on base.
* The walk-off loss was the seventh of the season for the Red Sox.
* The Red Sox suffered consecutive losses for the first time since May 30-31.
* Alex Verdugo extended his hitting streak to eight games.
* The loss gave the Sox their first series defeat since they dropped three of five to Baltimore at Fenway on the final weekend of May.
UP NEXT
The Sox tried to avoid a series sweep at the hands of the Blue Jays Wednesday night at 7:07 p.m. with RHP Nick Pivetta (8-5, 3.25) vs. RHP Alek Manoah (9-2, 2.05)