Game #86 Boston Red Sox (45-40) @ Toronto Blue Jays (32-54) - game recap

Rafael Devers just about beat the Blue Jays on his own with a 4-6 effort, driving in 4 runs and scoring twice en route to a 10-6 victory by the Red Sox over the Blue Jays

After a great Canada day weekend where the Blue Jays took three of four from Kansas City, the Blue Jays opened a three game series against a likely tired Boston Red Sox team that is coming back from three days in Europe where they hosted the Yankees. Blue Jays killer David Price was on the mound looking for his 23rd career win over the Blue Jays. Trent Thornton was looking to bounce back from a rough outing in NY five days ago. Justin Smoak was back in the lineup after a day off yesterday. Teoscar Hernandez got the day off, presumably to rest his ailing wrist that he banged up several days ago. Could the Blue Jays take advantage of a tired Red Sox team and steal a win? Here is tonight's game recap.

Game Highlights:

• The Red Sox opened the scoring in the top of the 1st as Rafael Devers crushed a 2-run bomb off the basing of the second deck in right-center also scoring Mookie Betts
• Four batters later, Christian Vazquez hit a ground-rule double scoring Xander Bogaerts
• A batter later, Jackie Bradley Jr. singled home Vazquez
• The Red Sox added a run in the top of the 2nd on a fielder's choice by Bogaerts that scored Betts
• The Blue Jays got one back in the bottom of the 2nd on a ground rule double by Danny Jansen that scored Cavam Biggio
• The Red Sox added 2 more runs in the top of the 3rd as Devers singled home Vazquez and Bradley Jr.
• Trent Thornton pitching line: 2.2IP 11H 7R 1BB 1K 64 pitches (43 for strikes)
• The Blue Jays got one back in the bottom of the 6th as Freddy Galvis singled scoring Lourdes Gurriel Jr.
• David Price pitching line: 6IP 4H 2R (both earned) 4BB 7K 93 pitches (60 for strikes)
• The Red Sox added a run in the top of the 7th as Vazquez hammered one to the second deck in left
• The Blue Jays got one back in the bottom half of the inning as Jansen hammered one to the second deck in left
• The Red Sox added 2 more in the top of the 8th as Devers crushed one to dead center also scoring Betts
• The Blue Jays got a pair back in the bottom of the 9th as Vladimir Guerrero Jr. doubled home Jansen and Eric Sogard
• A batter later, Guerrero Jr. scored on a sac fly by Gurriel Jr.
• Final score: Red Sox 10 Blue Jays 6

My Take:

• In a word, yikes. Trent Thornton was lit up to the tune of 7 runs on 11 hits and a walk. Just three pitches into the game and Boston had a two-run lead, and it just went south from there. The Red Sox bats were definitely not tired after a lengthy road trip to England. Clearly the strategy for Boston was to jump all over the Blue Jays rookie early and often (not a bad idea with the team likely tired after a trip to Europe. It was supposed to be a bullpen day tomorrow and with Sean Reid-Foley forced to pitch 4 innings today, it's likely the Blue Jays will use an opener, likely Derek Law with Sammy G starting the 2nd inning. They could also make a move and start Thomas Pannone.
• The Blue Jays offence today was literally Danny Jansen, who was 3-4 with a pair of RBI and a pair of runs scored. Vlad just missed a home run, but did eventually come around to score to make the game kind of close, but not really (he also drew a pair of walks). Eric Sogard drew a pair of walks and scored a run, as did Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Cavan Biggio had a pair of hits.
• Up next, the Blue Jays get to deal with Red Sox ace Chris Sale, while they cobble together pitchers to get through 9 innings (or more).