Well it took a full week, but the Toronto Blue Jays are finally back in the win column, snapping a long seven game losing streak by beating the Boston Red Sox’s 9-4.
Boston had gone 4-0 in the season series against Toronto so far this season, and early on, it looked like it was gonna be 5-0.
After Boston scored two runs in the second inning, one coming from a Rafael Devers home run and the other thanks to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and George Springer not communicating properly on a flyball that led to Tyler O’Neill reaching 3rd base and later scoring on a Masataka Yoshida double, Toronto’s lineup fired on all cylinders.
Toronto started the third inning by reaching base five straight times. Kevin Kiermaier, coming into this game hitting just .186, hit a single to score two runs, tying the ballgame at 2. Kiermaier collected two hits in the game and has three so far in the series. What Toronto needs from Kiermaier more is to reach base, whether it be by walking or hitting singles, rather than aim for power, as he did last year.
Back in the Jays lineup was Bo Bichette, activated off the 10-day IL, while Steward Berroa was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo. Bichette walked in the third inning and struck out twice in four plate apperances today.
Guerrero Jr. redeemed himself for the error in the second, doubling to deep centre field to score Bichette and Kiermaier, now making it 4-2 Toronto.
A groundout by Justin Turner made it 5-2 Toronto, and then Springer stepped up to the plate, contributing to the lineup in a big way.
Springer homered to bring in two runs, his first homer in nearly a month, making it 7-2 Toronto still in the third.
Considering Springer has been the worst qualified hitter this year (.576 OPS heading into this game), any type of power shown is a postive for the four time All-Star.
Boston SP Bryan Bello was tagged for all seven runs, as he surrended two home runs and five hits. Bello last two starts have come facing the Jays and in 8.1 innings, Bello has given up nine earned runs.
Toronto wasn’t done scoring more in the game; in the next inning, Guerreo Jr. doubled once again, as the Jays were up by seven runs.
Boston would score two more in the sixth, but it wasn’t enough, as Kevin Gausman gave the Jays a chance to win.
Gausman, in 6.0 innings, allowed three earned runs on five hits and struck out five. While Gausman hasn’t been totally terrible this season, he continues to give up home runs (two more in this game), and he’s not getting the chase on his splitter like in previous years.
In the last three games, Toronto has atleast scored five runs (20 runs total), and its only the second time this season that’s happened. Between May 26-May 28, Toronto scored 11, five and seven runs in three straight games.
Toronto hopes to win their first series in the past week and a half, sending SP Yariel Rodriguez out on the mound to face Boston. Rodriguez allowed four earned runs in 1.1 innings against the Cleveland Guardians on Friday.
