Bowden Francis takes no-hitter into 6th, Blue Jays beat Red Sox 2-0

Toronto Blue Jays' Bowden Francis winds up for a pitch to a Boston Red Sox batter in the first inning of a baseball game Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

BOSTON (AP) -

One outing after taking a no-hitter into the ninth, Bowden Francis held Boston hitless through 5 1/3 innings Thursday night in the Toronto Blue Jays' 2-0 victory over the Red Sox.

Francis (8-3) faced the minimum through 5 1/3 innings, with the only baserunner coming when Jarren Duran reached on an error in the fourth. Duran was then thrown out trying to steal second.

The no-hit bid ended with one out in the sixth, when Nick Sogard blooped a soft single to center. Francis allowed just one hit in all, striking out five and walking none before leaving in the middle of the seventh with a with a 2-0 lead.

In his previous outing, Francis pitched eight no-hit innings against the Angels before allowing a solo homer to start the ninth.

“He was just in total control,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “He’s got such a good way about him — mentally, physically, execution-wise. His pitch mix is awesome. Not much more to say other than that. He’s really (expletive) good right now.”

Francis said he didn’t feel as sharp as in Saturday's outing against Los Angeles.

“I felt a little more fatigued warming up,” he said. “One of those days where you’ve got to really be sharp. It’s one of those outings where you’ve got to fight through it and be crafty.”

In five August starts, Francis has allowed four runs in 34 innings, an ERA of 1.06.

“I’m trying to go out there and win every game I’m pitching,” he said. “I think the numbers will take care of themselves if you’re thinking about the right stuff, going about your business the right way, and treating people the right way, I think the universe has a way of unraveling things. It's just something I've got to keep levelheaded (about).”

Genesis Cabrera gave up one hit in the eighth and Chad Green pitched the ninth. After hitting Mickey Gasper with a pitch, Green got Tyler O'Neill on a grounder to short to earn his 16th save and complete the two-hit shutout.

Kutter Crawford (8-12) held Toronto to two runs on six hits in 6 2/3 innings. He walked two and struck out three. The game was 44-year-old Rich Hill's 2024 debut, making him the only active player to have appeared in each of the last 20 seasons.

The Blue Jays took the lead in the third when Brian Serven doubled and scored on Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s double. They made it 2-0 in the sixth on back-to-back doubles from Addison Barger and Ernie Clement.

The Red Sox just missed a triple play in the ninth when Leo Jimenez bunted the ball in the air with runners on first and second. Pitcher Greg Weissert dove to catch the ball, got up and spun around to catch the runner off second base. But Davis Schneider was able to dive back to first and beat the relay.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Blue Jays: LF Joe Loperfido was removed after colliding with the Green Monster making the catch on Triston Casas' fly ball in the seventh. “He's OK. He’s getting evaluated,” Schneider said. “Kind of hit his head and neck on the Monster there. Just kind of being cautious with him taking him out. So he’ll go through a bunch of tests and see how he is.”

Red Sox: Red Sox manager Alex Cora said INF Trevor Story will start a rehab assignment soon, perhaps next week. 3B Rafael Devers missed his third straight due to shoulder soreness. Cora said he will DH for a couple of games and play the field Sunday.

UP NEXT

Blue Jays: RHP Kevin Gausman (12-9) opens a three-game series against the Twins, facing RHP Pablo Lopez (12-8) on Friday night.

Red Sox: RHP Tanner Houck (8-9) starts in the opener of a three-game series in Detroit on Friday night.