All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' loss to the Blue Jays, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:
HEADLINES
Winckowski fails to cash in: With Nathan Eovaldi scratched from his scheduled start because of some shoulder inflammation, Josh Winckowski, who was optioned by the team over the weekend, got a chance for a spot start and an opportunity to make a better impression on the Red Sox. It didn't happen. He was knocked around for six runs on six hits and couldn't get out of the third inning. "The shape of his slider wasn't great and the shape of his pitches weren't great,'' said Alex Cora. It didn't help that he issued two walks in the fateful third, when Toronto chased him and batted around for eight runs. "It's extremely frustrating,'' said Winckowski. "Every chance you get up here is a huge opportunity and not taking advantage of them obviously never feels good.''
Offense still struggling: In addition to some poor performances from their starting rotation of late, the Red Sox offense has (mostly) leveled off, too. For the sixth time in the last 10 games, the Red Sox were held to three runs or less. Even with quality pitching, that output won't get you a lot of wins. And the Sox wouldn't have even gotten to three had they not tacked on two garbage-time runs in the last three innings in a game that was already well out of hand. As often happens with the Sox, they failed to capitalize on some chances, stranding 11 baserunners -- including five in the first three innings of play -- and were just 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position.
Injuries keep piling up: As if losing by six runs wasn't bad enough, the Red Sox lost two position players to injury during the game, with both coming out. First, left fielder Tommy Pham, who experienced back spasms last week in Pittsburgh, aggravated his condition again as he tried to make a play against The Wall on a double by Jackie Bradley Jr. in the third. He came out, with the Sox shifting Alex Verdugo from right to left and inserting Rob Refsnyder in right. Pham will likely be given Wednesday off, and the same is true for Xander Bogaerts, who was removed after the sixth inning, also suffering from back spasms -- these, in his mid-back. Kike Hernandez shifted to short for the final three innings, and Alex Cora indicated Bogaerts would be held out Wednesday.
TURNING POINT
The Red Sox had taken a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning for Winckowski. In the top of the third, Winckowski allowed a leadoff double to former teammate Jackie Bradley Jr., then got the next two outs and had two strikes on Lourdes Gurriel Jr. before allowing a run-scoring double. That was just the start of his trouble, as the next four hitters reached base. including two via walks. When the second one, issued with the bases loaded, forced in a run, that was it for Winckowski, and, really, for the Red Sox, too.
TWO UP
Kevin Plawecki: Getting his third straight start behind the plate, Plawecki is wielding a hot bat with two more hits, giving him five in his last three games.
Rafael Devers: Devers looked more like himself back at Fenway, stroking a double high off the wall in the first and later adding two more singles.
TWO DOWN
Austin Davis: The tough times continue for the lefty, who allowed two runs on four hits over 2.1 innings and now has a 5.33 ERA for the season.
Alex Verdugo: Verdugo was the team's hottest hitter for weeks, but has cooled considerably in the last two games. After going hitless (0-for-4) Sunday night, he was 0-for-5 Tuesday with two strikeouts and three groundouts.
QUOTE OF NOTE
"I think that's something I've struggled with (in the big leagues) - kind of not being able to slow down the snowball. It's obviously something to work on.'' Josh Winckowski, who allowed eight runs after recording the first two outs in the third inning.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
* Reese McGuire became the fourth Red Sox position player -- and second catcher -- to pitch this year.
* Kevin Plawecki has had two games in which he's reached base three times this season -- both have come against Toronto.
* Kike Hernandez has knocked in at least one run in each of his last seven games, a career-best.
* Rafael Devers had his third three-hit game of the season.
UP NEXT: The two teams play the middle game of the three-game set Wednesday with RHP Brayan Bello (0-3, 8.47) matched against RHP Jose Berrios (9-5, 5.39), at 7:10 p.m.