FINAL: Red Sox 4, Blue Jays 1 - Taner Houck Brings Perfect Game into the 5th Inning in Win

The Red Sox defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 4-1 at the Rogers Centre on Monday night. Tanner Houck had a perfect game going into the fifth inning before walking Addison Barger. 

Houck went five innings of one-hit baseball and no runs allowed. He also threw only 57 pitches and 36 strikes. This was Houck's first win since July 11th versus the Oakland Athletics.

 Wilyer Abreu also had a big game with three hits joining Jarren Duran as the only Boston players with multiple hits in a game. One of the hits was an RBI double in the third inning and a single in the fifth inning. 

The Boston bullpen came up big with Zach Penrod recording two outs in the seventh and Luis Guerrero going 1 1/3 innings. Chris Martin worked around a Spencer Horwitz RBI single in the ninth inning. 

Chris Bassitt had a rough outing for Toronto as he allowed a career-high seven walks in 4 1/3 innings. Two of the hitters he walked would come around to score. 

The Red Sox will be back in action tomorrow night in the second game of the three-game series when Brayan Bello starts on the hill at 7:07 p.m. 

_________________________________________

WHO: Red Sox (78-78) vs. Toronto Blue Jays (73-83)
WHEN: 7:07 p.m.
WHERE: Rogers Centre, Toronto.
SERIES TO DATE: 6-4 (3-4/3-0)
STARTING PITCHERS: RHP Tanner Houck (8-10, 3.21) vs. RHP Chris Bassitt (10-13, 4.16)
TV/RADIO: NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7
LIVE BOX
LINEUPS
RED SOX
Duran LF
Story SS
Casas 1B
O'Neill DH
Abreu RF
Wong C
Sogard 3B
Grissom 2B
Rafaela CF

SP Tanner Houck

BLUE JAYS
Springer RF
Lukes LF
Guerrero Jr 1B
Horwitz DH
Kirk C
Barger 3B
Clement SS
Clase CF
Jimenez 2B

SP Chris Bassitt

WHAT'S UP
The Red Sox yesterday swept a doubleheader against the Minnesota Twins at Fenway Park.
The Red Sox' doubleheader sweep yesterday vs. MIN marked just their 2nd time sweeping a twin bill at Fenway Park in the last 11 seasons (also 6/18/23 vs. NYY). Prior to last season, they hadn't swept a home doubleheader since 6/18/13 vs. TB.

The Sox are 3-2 in their last 5 games after losing 4 of their previous 5...They're 8-8 in their last 16 games.

Triston Casas in Game 1 yesterday tied the Red Sox' single-game HR record, going 3-for-4 with 3 HR and 7 RBI. Casas was the 27th Red Sox player to hit 3 HR in a game. (36th instance, previous: Trevor Story on 5/19/22 vs. SEA). He became just the 3rd Sox player ever to homer in eachof their first 3 plate appearances in a game. 

Casas became the 6th player in Red Sox history to hit 40 HR and record 100 RBI within their first 215 career games, joining Ted Williams, Walt Dropo, Tony Conigliaro, Carlton Fisk, and Nomar Garciaparra. Casas is the 3rd-fastest player in Red Sox history to hit 40 HR, by plate appearances.                               

Tonight begins the Sox' final road series of 2024...They're 41-37 (.526) on the road, the AL's 4th-best road record behind NYY (50-31), BAL (42-33), and DET (43-38).

 The Red Sox are 2-10 in their last 12 road games, including a 7-game road losing streak from 8/31-9/13.

Boston has posted a 2.85 ERA (37 ER/117.0 IP) in its last 13 games, allowing 3 ER or fewer in 9 of those games. 

In their last 26 games, beginning 8/26, Red Sox starting pitchers rank 3rd in MLB with a 2.52 ERA (39 ER/139.1 IP), trailing only TOR (2.43) and NYM (2.50).

The Red Sox have placed RHP Kenley Jansen on the 15-Day IL with right shoulder inflammation, ending his season. Boston has recalled RHP Chase Shugart from Triple-A Worcester to fill his spot.