Alex Verdugo keyed a three-run 10th inning with a two-run double after earlier hitting a two-run homer as the visiting Boston Red Sox defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 6-5 on Wednesday night.
Toronto scored twice in the bottom of the 10th.
Verdugo’s four-RBI game helped the Red Sox salvage the finale of a three-game series. Franchy Cordero added four hits for Boston.
George Springer hit a solo home run for Toronto.
Toronto’s David Phelps (0-2) walked Rob Refsnyder to open the 10th with Jackie Bradley Jr. as the automatic runner at second. Rafael Devers walked to load the bases.
J.D. Martinez was hit by a pitch to force in a run. Tim Mayza replaced Phelps and induced a 3-2-3 double-play grounder from Xander Bogaerts. Verdugo followed with a two-run double.
Boston’s Matt Strahm (3-2) allowed Matt Chapman’s two-out single in the bottom of the 10th that moved Alejandro Kirk, the automatic runner, to third. Santiago Espinal hit an RBI single, and Cavan Biggio followed with an RBI double. Springer popped out to end the game.
Toronto starter Alek Manoah allowed three runs (two earned), six hits and one walk while striking out six in seven innings.
Boston starter Nick Pivetta allowed two runs, five hits and three walks with five strikeouts in six-plus innings.
Kirk started the bottom of the second with a walk, took second on Raimel Tapia’s one-out single and scored on Espinal’s two-out single.
Cordero led off the Boston third with a bunt single. He stole second and continued to third on Kirk’s throwing error, then came home on Refsnyder’s sacrifice fly.
The benches emptied briefly in the bottom of the third when Pivetta hit Kirk with a pitch that put runners at first and second. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. walked to load the bases, but Pivetta fanned Tapia to escape the jam.
Springer led off the bottom of the fifth with his 15th homer of the season, putting the Blue Jays up 2-1.
Bogaerts beat out an infield single to third with two outs in the sixth. Verdugo extended his hitting streak to 10 games with his sixth home run of the season.
Boston’s Ryan Brasier allowed one-out doubles to Gurriel and Tapia in the eighth that tied the game 3-3.
Strahm overcame a leadoff walk in the ninth before allowing two runs (one earned) in the 10th.
–Field Level Media
