Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning and the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the visiting Boston Red Sox 4-2 on Thursday night.
Guerrero’s homer in the rubber match of the three-game series came against Justin Slaten (0-2), who also took the loss in the 10th inning on Wednesday.
Daulton Varsho hit a solo homer for Toronto.
Toronto’s Jose Berrios pitched around leadoff singles in the first and second innings, leaving the runners stranded at second base each time. The first inning ended when Varsho caught Wilyer Abreu’s flyball at the center field wall.
Boston’s Tanner Houck worked around singles in the second, third and fourth.
The Red Sox had their third leadoff single on Rob Refsnyder’s line drive to center in the fifth. Refsnyder took third when David Hamilton lined a single to right. Hamilton then stole second. The bases were loaded with two outs when Rafael Devers walked on a 3-2 changeup that was down and outside. Alex Bregman roped an 0-1 hanging slider to the left field corner for a two-run double. Bregman extended his hit streak to 11 games.
Berrios retired the first two batters of the seventh before Mason Fluharty (2-0) replaced him.
Berrios allowed two runs, seven hits and one walk while striking out eight in 6 2/3 innings.
Houck retired nine straight batters before Varsho hit his second homer in two nights with a blast to left on a 1-1 elevated sinker. He had hit a deep foul to right on the previous pitch. Houck hit a batter before completing his seven innings, allowing one run, four hits and no walks with six strikeouts.
Slaten replaced Houck for the eighth inning. Nathan Lukes squibbed a one-out single and took third when Bo Bichette doubled to right over the head of Abreu, who took a poor route to a ball that landed on the warning track. Guerrero followed with a homer to left on a 3-2 curveball that spun over the plate.
Yimi Garcia pitched a perfect ninth with two strikeouts to earn his second save.
Boston’s Kristian Campbell was a late scratch because of discomfort in his right rib cage.
–Field Level Media
