TORONTO — The Boston Red Sox halted their tumble in the standings with an extra-inning win to split a doubleheader with the Blue Jays on Saturday.
Shortstop Jonathan Arauz bounced a single through the left side of the infield to score Franchy Cordero (the automatic runner on second base) for a 2-1, eighth-inning win.
The Red Sox (65-48) won for only the second time in 10 outings. After winning the opener 1-0 on a Marcus Semien walk-off homer in the seventh inning, the Blue Jays (59-50) lost for only the second time in 10 games since their Rogers Centre return after a 22-month absence because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Blue Jays starter Jose Berrios delivered six innings with six strikeouts in the nightcap, allowing five hits. But one of those hits was a game-tying homer to Alex Verdugo in the sixth.
The newcomer Berrios was cruising in his second start since being acquired in a trade to Toronto on July 30. He had struck out four of his last five hitters when Verdugo hit a 2-2 curve just over the wall in straight away centre field to tie the game in the sixth inning.
Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette led off the fourth inning with a single to left field. He advanced on Teoscar Hernandez’s groundout to third and scored on Breyvic Valera’s single to left-centre.
The Red Sox wasted an outstanding outing from Canadian Nick Pivetta in his debut outing at Rogers Centre in the opener. He tossed six scoreless innings in a 76-pitch gem, allowing only one hit and a walk to go with five strikeouts.
He set down the first 14 batters in a row. Toronto outfielder Corey Dickerson then broke up the no-hit bid from the Victoria, B.C. righty with a two-out single to left field in the fifth inning.
“Nick did an outstanding job, gave us six innings,” Boston manager Alex Cora said. “Every pitch mattered. He stepped up to the challenge.”
With the 28-year-old Pivetta out of the game after six outstanding innings, Toronto second baseman Semien smashed a first-pitch 95 mph fastball from reliever Matt Barnes (5-3) over the left-field wall for the 1-0 win.
It was Semien’s 26th homer in 2021 and first career walk-off blast.
Blue Jays starter Robbie Ray was almost as effective as Pivetta. He allowed only two hits and struck out five in six innings.
Canadian Jordan Romano (5-1) took over for Ray in the seventh inning and enjoyed a one-two-three frame with two strikeouts.
Boston was without standout outfielder J.D. Martinez. He was placed on the team’s COVID-19-related injured list. He hasn’t tested positive, but Martinez felt unwell following Friday’s game and on Saturday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug 7, 2021.
Tim Wharnsby, The Canadian Press