Boston Red Sox catcher Connor Wong (12) tags out Toronto Blue Jays' Bo Bichette for the final out of 9th inning MLB action Toronto on Saturday, July 1, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn
TORONTO – Rafael Devers had an early two-run homer and later added an RBI single as the Boston Red Sox fended off the Toronto Blue Jays 7-6 on Saturday.
Justin Turner had a home run and an RBI double as Boston (42-42) improved to 6-0 against Toronto in 2023. Masataka Yoshida also drove in a run.
Kutter Crawford (3-4) held Toronto to just two runs on three hits and two walks, striking out five over 5 2/3 innings. Josh Winckowski came on in relief and Kenley Jansen picked up the five-out save.
Matt Chapman had a huge two-run blast in the eighth inning as Toronto (45-39) mounted a late comeback.
George Springer and Bo Bichette each had a solo home run but the Blue Jays still fell to 7-19 against American League East teams this year.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. added a late RBI single in the ninth but Bichette was gunned down at home to end the game.
Yusei Kikuchi (7-3) had his worst outing in more than a month. He allowed five runs on seven hits and two walks, striking out seven over 4 2/3 innings.
Trevor Richards, Nate Pearson, Yimi Garcia and Erik Swanson came out of the Blue Jays bullpen, with Richards and Swanson each giving up a run.
Nine people participated in a citizenship ceremony on the Rogers Centre field before the game. Standing in front of the mound and wearing red Blue Jays jerseys, Immigration Minister Sean Fraser swore them in with two judges bearing witness.
The nine new Canadians lined up with the Blue Jays along the third-base line for the national anthems, with members of the Royal Canadian Navy unfurling a large Canadian flag in the outfield. Their citizenship was made official when they sang “O Canada” along with the 41,813 fans in attendance.
“Baseball is America’s pastime, right? That’s what everyone says. But to me baseball brings worlds together,” said Blue Jays manager John Schneider. “Just look at the diversity around the league, within every team.
“The fact that we as a team represent the entire country is very unique, and that we can tie baseball into people becoming Canadian citizens, that is awesome.”
After members of the armed forces delivered baseballs to the new Canadians, they threw out the first pitch in unison to nine members of the Blue Jays roster.
The festivities continued in the first inning as Springer led off with his 12th home run of the season.
Springer now has 56 leadoff home runs in his career, second in Major League Baseball history behind only Hall of Fame outfielder Rickey Henderson’s 81.
Devers answered in the third, lofting a four-seam fastball from Kikuchi 418 feet. His 20th home run of the year also scored Turner for a 2-1 Red Sox lead.
Bichette tied it up in the bottom of the inning, drilling a knuckle curveball from Crawford to left-centre field. His 15th homer came on an 0-2 count.
Boston retook the lead when Turner’s RBI double fell between Daulton Varsho and Kevin Kiermaier in the Blue Jays’ outfield. He reached base standing up as Rob Refsnyder scored to make it 3-2.
Devers plated Turner again with his line drive in the next at bat to give Boston a 4-2 lead. That ended Kikuchi’s outing, with the left-hander allowing the most runs in a start since giving up five in a 7-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on May 24.
Richards came on in relief, coughing up a single to Yoshida that scored Devers. That run was also charged to Kikuchi.
Alex Verdugo tacked on another run for the Red Sox in the sixth with his sacrifice fly to deep right field giving Christian Arroyo time to charge home for a 6-2 lead.
An errant pickoff attempt to second base by Winckowski in the seventh allowed Chapman to race home from third. That cut Boston’s advantage to three runs.
Chapman continued to chip away at the Red Sox’s lead in the eighth with his two-run blast to deep right field. The 365-foot homer came on a sinker from Winckowski and also cashed in Guerrero.
Toronto’s comeback hopes were damaged by Turner’s home run in the ninth. With the Rogers Centre’s dome closing ahead of an impending thunderstorm, Turner got a piece of a splitter from Swanson and sent it 378 feet into the Blue Jays’ bullpen to pad Boston’s lead.
Springer singled with one out in the bottom of the ninth and Bichette moved him into scoring position with a double to right field. Brandon Belt struck out to bring Guerrero and a potential game-winning run to the plate.
Guerrero singled to right field to score Springer but Bichette was thrown out at home plate to end the game. A video review upheld the call on the field.
MANOAH MOVES UP – Alek Manoah will make a double-A start on Sunday as he works on his throwing form. He’ll pitch for the New Hampshire Fisher Cats against the Portland Sea Dogs, an affiliate of the Red Sox. The Blue Jays demoted Manoah on June 6 after the 2022 All-Star and American League Cy Young finalist couldn’t get out of the first inning against the Houston Astros.
BULLPEN ROTATION – Toronto recalled right-handed pitcher Thomas Hatch from its triple-A affiliate in Buffalo, N.Y. ahead of Saturday’s game. Trent Thornton was optioned to Buffalo in a corresponding move.
ON DECK – Kevin Gausman (7-4) gets the start as Toronto concludes its series with Boston.
Garrett Whitlock (4-3) will take the mound for the Red Sox in the matinee.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 1, 2023.
