The Toronto Blue Jays came home to finish the regular season, starting with a three-game series hosting a fellow division member in the Boston Red Sox.
Danny Jansen returned to Toronto for the first time as an opponent, and although he didn’t start, he received a standing ovation from the Blue Jays’ faithful as he tipped his cap in response.
Chris Bassitt (10-13, 4.16) took the mound for the Blue Jays as Tanner Houck (8-10, 3.21) did so for the Red Sox.
Bassitt tossed 4 1/3 innings, allowing three runs (two earned) over four hits, walking seven and punching out two as he took his 14th loss of the season. Houck threw 5 shutout innings, allowing just one hit, walking one and striking out none to earn his ninth victory of the year.
The Red Sox struck first, taking a 1-0 lead on a sacrifice fly from Vaughn Grissom in the top of the 2nd.
An inning later, an RBI double from Wilyer Abreu doubled the Boston lead to 2-0.
In the 4th, the Red Sox would get their third run thanks to an RBI ground out from Ceddanne Rafaela.
Rafaela would give the Red Sox a 4-0 lead with a fielder’s choice in the top of the 8th.
The Blue Jays would break the shutout in the bottom of the 9th, scoring on an RBI single from Spencer Horwitz.
Unfortunately for the Jays, that’s all they would get as they dropped game one by a final score of 4-1 to the Red Sox.
Bowden Francis (8-5, 3.30) will be on the bump for the Blue Jays while Brayan Bello (14-8, 4.49) will start for the Red Sox. Francis will look to help the Blue Jays even up the series with a win on Tuesday night.
