Jarren Duran started the game with a homer, Masataka Yoshida added a two-run single during a three-run first inning, and the Red Sox snapped a four-game losing streak with a 6-3 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday night.
David Hamilton, Triston Casas, and Wilyer Abreu also contributed with RBIs for Boston, who had not won since defeating Houston last Wednesday.
Duran set the tone for the game, according to manager Alex Cora.
“He’s one of the best players in the big leagues. Every night, you’re like in awe of the things he’s doing,” Cora said. “He set the tempo right away. Got a pitch in, hit it hard and from there we just kept going.”
Duran is the first player since at least 1901 to reach 40 doubles, 10 triples, 20 home runs, and 30 stolen bases in a single season, as noted by the Red Sox.
“It’s a cool honor, but at the end of the day, it doesn’t do anything for the team unless I’m helping them win. But it’s a pretty awesome stat to have,” Duran said.
Boston halted the Blue Jays’ five-game winning streak. Despite this, Toronto has still won 10 of its last 15 games and is close to moving up in the AL East standings.
Will Wagner hit his first career homer for Toronto, and Daulton Varsho hit a solo shot in the ninth inning. Varsho also had a single in the seventh, extending his hitting streak to 10 games. The homer by Varsho extended the Blue Jays’ streak of consecutive games with at least one home run to 16.
Duran’s 20th homer of the season came on an 0-1 fastball from Yariel Rodríguez, which he drove to right field. Boston added three more runs in the fifth inning with Hamilton’s RBI single, Casas’s run-scoring double, and Abreu’s RBI single.
Wagner’s homer in the sixth, off a sinker from Brennan Bernardino, cut Boston’s lead to 6-2. Varsho’s homer in the ninth, off Jansen, went to the deepest part of the ballpark.
Cooper Criswell pitched 3 1/3 innings for Boston, giving up one run on five hits and three walks, and also hit two batters. Greg Weissert (3-2) earned the win by pitching 1 2/3 innings without allowing any runs.
Rodríguez (1-6) gave up six earned runs on eight hits over five innings, striking out three and walking one.
Toronto manager John Schneider commented, “I think when you get down in this park it’s tough. We had chances and I thought the guys really swung the bats well and just didn’t really cash in on the opportunities.”
Boston catcher Danny Jansen, who made history Monday by playing for the Red Sox in a game he started for Toronto before it was suspended due to weather on June 26, helped prevent two runs with his defense.
Jansen tagged out Joey Loperfido at the plate when he tried to score on a double by Wagner in the second inning.
In the fourth inning, Ernie Clement tried to avoid Jansen after tagging up on a deep fly ball by George Springer to right field. Abreu’s throw was accurate and timely, resulting in an unusual inning-ending double play.
Schneider mentioned that Jansen was displaying the defensive skills he developed with the Blue Jays and also talked about Boston’s defensive plays.
“You never want to make outs on the bases, but aggressive outs are OK,” Schneider said. “When you’re putting pressure on the other team to make really good plays, we’re good with that. Tonight they made really good plays.”
