BSJ Game Report: Blue Jays 3, Red Sox 2 - Matt Chapman hits walk-off as lifeless Boston offense swept

All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' 3-2 loss to the Blue Jays, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:

BOX SCORE

HEADLINES

Matt Chapman hits walk-off in ninth after Rafael Devers tied game: The Red Sox turned to RHP Garrett Whitlock in the ninth inning after Rafael Devers delivered a game-tying solo shot in the top half with two strikes and two outs down 2-1 following another lifeless effort from Boston's offense. Whitlock allowed a Cavan Biggio single then Matt Chapman launched a fastball down the middle over Wilyer Abreu's head in center field, Abreu crashing into the wall and allowing Biggio to round the bases and score from first. 

Offense costs the Sox in another strong pitching game: The Red Sox hit 9-36 (.250), walked four times and struck out nine. They left 12 runners on base and hit 1-14 with runners in scoring position, Pablo Reyes providing the lone RBI single in the seventh inning to pull within 2-1 against Jays reliever Genesis Cabrera. Devers tried to sneak home from third on a second-inning Reyes ground ball that Bo Bichette downed him easily on. Adam Duvall flew out to leave the bases loaded in the third. The Sox scored 1.7 runs per game as a team that averaging over five more most of this season. They hit .171 while posting a 2.17 ERA as a pitching staff, Nick Pivetta pitching well aside from a hanging curveball to Daulton Varsho for a solo home run in the fifth and a sacrifice fly in the second. Pivetta allowed four hits and struck out six over 6.1 innings. Boston finished the series 3-33 with RISP. 

TWO UP

Nick Pivetta: Logged one of the longer Red Sox starts in recent months allowing only two runs over 6.1 innings while throwing 71.4% of his pitches for strikes, stacking up with Brayan Bello and Chris Sale's 10-strikeout starts earlier in the series. Pivetta bounced back from struggles across his last four appearances, and in general starting games this season, entering Sunday with a 6.60 ERA since Aug. 25, when he blew a save against the Dodgers. 

Rafael Devers: Walked twice more as his hot streak intensified to a point where opponents didn't want to pitch to him anymore. Toronto twice granted him a free pass in Saturday's loss but pitched to him in a one-run game late on Sunday, Devers fouling and laying off Erik Swanson's splitters until he found a high fastball he could drive 380 feet to left field. His 33rd home run gives him a chance to match his career-high 38 in 2021, and marked his fourth over his past seven games where he's hitting 8-20 (.400) with 10 walks and two strikeouts. At his best, he's still one of the most dangerous hitters in MLB. 

THREE DOWN 

Masataka Yoshida: Sat alongside Alex Verdugo to give Rob Refsnyder a start against a lefty and Bobby Dalbec (1-3) an appearance at first base with Justin Turner DHing. Yoshida appeared as a pinch hitter in the ninth inning and struck out, entering hitting .217 with a .580 OPS with three home runs over his past 30 games. Alex Cora said pre-game he wants to see Yoshida get stronger in the offseason to physically make it through 162 games. Japan's top league plays only 144. 

Adam Duvall: The top culprit for today's RISP issues doubled in the second inning to end an 0-27 slump. Then, he flew out on a four-pitch at bat with the bases loaded and two outs in the third, struck out with Refsnyder on second in the fifth trailing 1-0 and flew out with runners on first and second in the seventh. Verdugo replaced him as a pinch hitter in the ninth, Duvall actually improving to 4-43 (.093) in September after Sunday's loss. Sitting Abreu and allowing him to play at this point makes little sense unless Boston hopes to bring him back next season.  

Wilyer Abreu: Replaced Dalbec as a pinch hitter in the eighth then moved to center field, a strange decision by Cora that put Reyes at first and Ceddanne Rafaela at second. Much in Saturday's loss, Abreu faced a difficult fly ball in center field coming into the game cold and misplayed it off the wall. He probably couldn't have caught it, but fielding it off the center field wall instead of crashing into it would've stopped the game-winning run from scoring. Abreu said he'll see how he feels tomorrow appearing banged up from the collision. 

NOTABLE 

1B Bobby Dalbec singled for his first hit since April 11 in his first MLB appearance since June 25. 

Boston lost its 10th game over its last 12, remaining 2.0 games behind the Yankees in last place in the AL East. 

UP NEXT 

Monday at Rangers at 8:05 p.m., LHP Jordan Montgomery (9-11, 3.47 ERA) vs. RHP Kutter Crawford (6-7, 4.26 ERA)