Raimel Tapia hit a sacrifice fly in the 10th inning and the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the visiting Boston Red Sox 6-5 on Tuesday night.
Boston took a 5-2 lead with four runs in the eighth but fell for the second consecutive game to open a four-game series.
Toronto tied the game in the ninth against Jake Diekman. After Tapia and Santiago Espinal hit doubles, George Springer leveled the score with a two-out, two-run homer, his fourth long ball of the season.
Jordan Romano (1-1) retired his three batters in the 10th, stranding the designated runner at third.
Matt Barnes (0-1) walked Vladimir Guerrero Jr. intentionally to start the bottom of the 10th. Alejandro Kirk worked a walk to load the bases. After Matt Chapman struck out, Matt Strahm replaced Barnes to face Tapia.
Boston starter Nick Pivetta allowed two runs, three hits and four walks. He struck out six in 4 2/3 innings.
Toronto starter Kevin Gausman gave up one unearned run, four hits and no walks while striking out nine in six innings. He has not allowed a walk in 95 batters this season, the most to start a Blue Jays career; Brett Anderson went 79 batters without a walk in 2017.
The Red Sox have lost six of their past seven while the Blue Jays have won six of their past seven.
The Blue Jays took a 1-0 lead in the third inning on two walks, a wild pitch and Springer’s RBI single.
The Red Sox tied the game in the top of the fourth. Xander Bogaerts led off with a single, stole second and reached third on catcher Zack Collins’ throwing error. He scored on a sacrifice fly by Enrique Hernandez, who was out thanks to a diving catch by center fielder Bradley Zimmer.
Toronto regained the lead in the bottom of the fourth. Guerrero led off with a walk and took second on a single by Collins. Espinal then blooped a two-out RBI single to center.
Yimi Garcia allowed singles to pinch hitter Rafael Devers and Christian Vazquez to open the top of the eighth. Trevor Story tied the game with a double, and Alex Verdugo gave Boston a 3-2 lead with a sacrifice fly to left. Bogaerts followed with an RBI double.
David Phelps replaced Garcia and allowed a two-out infield RBI single by Hernandez.
Hansel Robles pitched around a single in the bottom of the eighth.
–Field Level Media
