Brandon Valenzuela’s two-out double against Aroldis Chapman drove in Ernie Clement with the go-ahead run in the ninth inning and the visiting Toronto Blue Jays completed a three-game sweep of the Boston Red Sox with a 4-3 victory Wednesday afternoon.
Toronto’s Mason Fluharty retired the Red Sox in order in the bottom half of the ninth to collect his first save.
Valenzuela’s double came after Boston tied the game on back-to-back home runs by Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Caleb Durbin in the eighth. Both home runs came against Toronto starter Trey Yesavage, who allowed three runs on four hits in 7 1/3 innings. He struck out six without a walk.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Nathan Lukes each hit a solo home run against Boston starter Sonny Gray, who gave up three runs on six hits in seven innings. He struck out four and walked one.
Tommy Nance (1-2) recorded two outs in the eighth inning to pick up the win. Chapman (0-2) took the loss.
The Blue Jays improved to 5-1 against Boston this season. The Red Sox were 1-for-29 with runners in scoring position in the three-game series.
Mickey Gasper had two hits for Boston, which has lost four in a row. The Red Sox are 12-25 at home this season, the worst mark in the majors.
Guerrero opened the scoring when he hit his fourth home run of the season in the first inning.
Toronto took a 2-0 lead in the second. Kazuma Okamoto doubled, took third on Valenzuela’s single and scored on an Andres Gimenez sacrifice fly.
Lukes hit his second home run of the season to stretch the lead to 3-0 in the seventh.
Boston scored its first run in the bottom of the seventh. Ceddanne Rafaela doubled, moved to third on Wilyer Abreu’s lineout to right and scored when Willson Contreras grounded out to shortstop.
Boston pulled even on the solo home runs by Kiner-Falefa and Durbin.
Boston is 9-32 this season in games when its opponent scores first.
–Field Level Media
