Bo Bichette hit a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the top of the 11th before Nick Sandlin pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the frame, lifting the Toronto Blue Jays to a 2-1 win over the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday.
After trading single first-inning runs, neither team scored until Toronto took the lead in the 11th. Automatic runner Ernie Clement moved to third on Nathan Lukes’ grounder to short before scoring on Bichette’s fly to center.
The teams combined for just 10 hits, with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (3-for-5) and Andres Gimenez (2-for-3) logging five of Toronto’s six.
Jays starter Kevin Gausman struck out 10 and allowed just four hits and one unearned run in eight innings. Jeff Hoffman (1-0) fanned three in two innings of relief, leading Toronto to a third straight victory to open the four-game series. Sandlin registered his first save of the season.
Boston batters struck out 14 times. Rafael Devers (2-for-5, two doubles) and Alex Bregman (RBI) were major contributors.
The Red Sox had a great game-winning chance in the 10th. Triston Casas’ leadoff grounder moved automatic runner Bregman to third, but Hoffman struck out two, including Kristian Campbell to end the inning.
The last hit for either team was a Guerrero single to begin the ninth.
The Blue Jays tagged Tanner Houck for three consecutive one-out singles in the first. Guerrero started the string with an infield knock and came in for the opening run on Will Wagner’s groundout to second.
Jarren Duran wasted little time getting the hosts back in the game in the bottom of the inning. He scored the tying run on Bregman’s sacrifice fly after lining a leadoff single off Gausman, stealing second and advancing to third on a subsequent throwing error.
Houck finished 6 2/3 innings of five-hit, one-run ball in his longest start of the young season. He struck out two and walked two.
Devers led off Boston’s fourth with a line double to center. Gausman bounced back to strike out three in a row, beginning a stretch of five consecutive strikeouts.
–Field Level Media
