All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' win over the Blue Jays, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:
HEADLINES
Verdugo finishes June with a flourish: There were few hitters hotter than Alex Verdugo this month and he finished it in style. Verdugo launched a two-run homer in the sixth, his second multi-run homer on this road trip. Then, with the game on the line in the 10th and two runners on base, Verdugo sliced a double to the left-center gap, scoring two. Those proved handy indeed when the Blue Jays came back with two runs of their own in the bottom of the inning. Verdugo also made a nice diving catch in left in the first inning. And showing some swag, Verdugo took forever to round the bases on the homer, perhaps payback for the emotion shown by Toronto starter Alek Manoah on the mound, and responding to some series-long chirping from the fans at Rogers Centre.
Pivetta gets a ND, but pitches brilliantly: Nick Pivetta knew he would have to be good, matched against Toronto's Alek Manoah -- and he was. Pivetta gave the Red Sox six-plus innings, allowing just two earned runs. He was touched for a run in the second, and another in the fifth on a solo homer from George Springer, but he was otherwise nails, pitching out of several jams. He left the bases loaded in the third. As frequently happens, he got better as the game went deeper, retiring 10-of-12 from the end of the third through the end of the sixth. Even with his pitch count at 103, Alex Cora sent him back out for the seventh, though he didn't last long, walking the leadoff hitter.
Bullpen holds on -- barely: Shorthanded again, the Sox had to mix-and-match down the stretch once Pivetta was lifted. John Schreiber was his usual dominant self, stranding the runner he inherited from Pivetta while retiring all three hitters he faced. Then, things got tricky. Ryan Brasier couldn't protect a one-run lead, leading to the team's 16th blown save of the season, second-most in MLB. Matt Strahm, who didn't pitch Tuesday, worked around a leadoff walk in the ninth, then, surprisingly, came back out for the bottom of the 10th, with the Sox in possession of a three-run lead. The Blue Jays scored twice and then had the tying run at third and the winning run at second, and Springer at the plate. But on his 41st pitch of the night, Strahm got Springer on an infield pop-up to preserve the win.
TURNING POINT
In the third inning, Nick Pivetta came inside with a pitch to Alejandro Kirk and hit him on the hands, prompting some anger on the part of the Blue Jays. Manager Charlie Montoyo came out, and before long, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was chirping at Pivetta, insisting that Pivetta had intentionally thrown at Kirk. Pivettta barked back, and the benches empties, although little came of it. Pivetta is an emotional type who could have let the dust-up get to him, but he quickly settled down and got out of a bases-loaded mess, then allowed just one more run the rest of the way.
TWO UP:
Franchy Cordero: Cordero had a career-best four hits -- and almost had another when he nearly beat out a grounder to short in the 10th inning. He also turned in a terrific diving catch on a low liner in the seventh.
Yolmer Sanchez: Getting his first start for the Sox, he didn't get a hit, but did work a walk and lay down a nice sacrifice bunt, while making a key play at second on a tough play to cut down the lead runner in the seventh inning.
TWO DOWN
Rafael Devers: Devers didn't seem himself at the plate, over-swinging on some pitches and failing to hit anything hard. He was 0-for-4 with a strikeout and two infield pop-ups.
Jackie Bradley Jr.: Time after time, Bradley came up with a chance to do damage, but couldn't. He was 0-for-4 and stranded seven baserunners in his four plate appearances.
QUOTE OF NOTE
"It seems like the last 10 games in this place, it's been close games to the end. Finally, we got one. It's been hard to win here.'' -- Alex Cora.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
* The Red Sox finished the June portion of the schedule with 20 wins, their most in that month since the 1990 season.
* Alex Verdugo had his 11th multi-hit game in the month of June.
* Verdugo also extended his hitting streak to 10 games.
* The extra inning was just the third of the season for the Sox, and second on the road.
* The game was the 10th one-run contest in the last 21 for the Red Sox.
* Jackie Bradley Jr. is without a hit in his last 26 at-bats.
UP NEXT
The Red Sox are off Thursday before beginning an interleague series in Chicago on Friday afternoon. At 2:20 p.m. Friday, LHP Rich Hill will make the start for the Sox, vs. TBA.