 |
| Lourdes Gurriel Jr. was 6-7 with 5RBI and 3 runs scored in a 28-5 beatdown over the Red Sox. |
After 4 days off for the all-star break, the Blue Jays began the second half with a 3-game set against the Red Sox at Fenway Park. The Blue Jays have won 7 of the 10 meetings in the season series thus far and have outscored the Red Sox 42-32. Kevin Gausman got the start with Danny Jansen behind the plate. George Springer missed his second straight game with a sore elbow. Raimel Tapia was in CF. Alejandro Kirk served as DH. Could the Blue Jays make it four straight wins and start the unofficial second half with a win? Here is tonight's game recap.
Game Highlights:
- The Blue Jays opened the scoring in the top of the 1st on a ground out by Bo Bichette that scored Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
- The Blue Jays added a pair of runs in the top of the 2nd as Matt Chapman hammered a 2-run bomb to dead-center; also scoring Lourdes Gurriel Jr.
- The Blue Jays added a pair of runs in the top of the 3rd as Gurriel Jr. singled scoring Alejandro Kirk and Bichette
- Two batters later, Santiago Espinal singled home Teoscar Hernandez
- Two batters later, Raimel Tapia hit an inside-the-park grand slam; also scoring Gurriel Jr., Espinal and Danny Jansen
- Nathan Eovaldi pitching line: 2.2IP 8H 9R (all earned) 2BB 3K 63 pitches (42 for strikes)
- The Blue Jays added a run in the top of the 4th as Hernandez whack an opposite field solo blast to right-center
- Four batters later, Jansen drilled a 3-run bomb to dead center; also scoring Chapman and Espinal
- The Red Sox got one back in the bottom half of the inning as Christian Vazquez bashed a solo bomb over the green monster in left
- Two batters later, Jackie Bradley Jr. smashed a 2-tun blast to right-center; also scoring Kevin Plawecki
- The Blue Jays added a run in the top of the 5th as Gurriel Jr. singled scoring Bichette
- A batter later, Chapman singled home Hernandez
- Two batters later, Jansen singled scoring Gurriel Jr.
- A batter later, Tapia doubled scoring Chapman and Espinal
- A batter after that, Guerrero Jr. singled home Tapia and Jansen
- Two batters later, Bichette singled home Guerrero Jr.
- A batter later, Hernandez singled home Kirk
- A batter after that, Guerriel Jr. doubled home Bichette and Hernandez
- The Blue Jays added a pair of runs in the top of the 6th as Jansen bashed a 2- run bomb over the green monster in left; also scoring Espinal
- Kevin Gausman pitching line: 5IP 7H 3R (all earned) 0BB 10K 107 pitches (71 for strikes)
- The Red Sox got one back in the bottom half of the inning as Vazquez hammered a solo bomb to dead center
- The Red Sox got one back in the bottom of the 7th as Rob Refsnyder bashed a solo blast over the green monster in left
- The Blue Jays added a run in the top of the 9th as Chapman singled scoring Cavan Biggio
- Final score: Blue Jays 28 Red Sox 5
My Take:-
- Kevin Gausman threw 5 solid innings, giving up 3 runs on 7 hits while walking none and striking out 10. On a selfish note, yours truly would have preferred an extra inning for a quality start for my fantasy team, but I'll take the win.
- The bullpen did it's job, holding a likely angry Red Sox team to a pair of meaningless solo shots. Jeremy Beasley showed why he was recalled and Sergio Romo was DFA'd just prior to the break. The Blue Jays righty ate up 3 innings in relief, allowing the Blue Jays to use just two relievers to get the final 12 outs of the game. It means the bullpen will be even fresher tomorrow.
- What a crazy offensive outburst by the team to start the second half. Every single starter scored at least once by the 3rd inning! By the 4th inning every Blue Jays starter had at least one hit and only Vlad and Alejandro Kirk had not driven in a run by that point.. Vlad drove in a pair in the 5th inning.
- Keeping with the crazy. Raimel Tapis capped off the 7-run 3rd inning with an inside-the park grand slam. His reaction was he thought he had made the 3rd out and apparently Red Sox CF Jarren Duran, who completely misjudged the carry on the ball, which bounced off the wall in CF. Tapia turned on the jets when he realized that the ball wouldn't be caught and LF Alex Verdugo would have a long way to get to the ball. Tapia slid head first into home plate and scored fairly easily.
- Crazy #3. the Blue Jays tacked on a game-high 11 runs in the 5th inning WITHOUT hitting a home run. All the offence that inning came after the 1st 2 batters of the inning were retired.
- The Blue Jays scored at least once in every inning but the 7th and 8th innings
- Up next, the Blue Jays go for their 5th straight win and series win #16. Alek Manoah starts against Red Sox righty Kutter Crawford
