Vlad Jr homers to tie it, Red Sox top Blue Jays in 9th, 2-1
The Toronto Blue Jays hit 15 homers in a four-game series at Fenway Park, with 11 of them sailing over the Green Monster.
The Boston Red Sox only needed to bang two off it to earn a split.
Rafael Devers hit a line drive off the left-field wall in the bottom of the ninth inning on Monday night after Vladimir Guerrero Jr. cleared it for a tying drive in the top half, and the Red Sox bounced back from their worst loss of the season to beat Toronto 2-1.
It was Boston's second walkoff win of the series, with Alex Verdugo delivering a game-winning single in a similar spot on Friday night. In between, the Blue Jays won 7-2 and 18-4, hitting 13 homers in the two wins - a record eight on Sunday alone.
“Yesterday was just a game,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “Like I said: 18-4, 1-0, 2-1, if you lose you lose, if you win it, you win it. We just earned a split against them. They didn't gain ground on us. We didn't lose ground on them. And now we go to Atlanta.”
Matt Barnes was two strikes away from finishing off a combined three-hit shutout when Guerrero homered 451 feet onto Lansdowne Street to tie the game 1-all. It was his major league-leading 22nd home run of the season, and his fourth in as many games.
But Verdugo, who also drove in Boston's first run, and J.D. Martinez singled off Rafael Dolis (1-3) to lead off the bottom of the ninth. One out later, Devers banged one off the wall in left-center; he stopped before reaching second to receive the congratulations of his teammates pouring out of the dugout, and was credited with a single.
One day after Toronto's eight home runs set a record for a visiting team at 109-year-old Fenway Park, Nathan Eovaldi took a one-hitter into the seventh. He held them to three hits and a walk in all, while striking out four in 6 2/3 innings.
“As bad as the last two games have been, to split this series 2-2 is big for us,” Eovaldi said, adding that he was eager to end to a string of bad starts from the Red Sox rotation. “Whenever we get on a good streak, it starts with pitching. It takes one starter to go out there and do a good job, and it resets everybody.”
Josh Taylor retired four straight batters, striking out three of them, and Barnes (3-1) got two quick outs before Guerrero tied it.
“Vladdy's nasty right now,” Devers said.
Verdugo, Devers and Marwin Gonzalez each had two of Boston's seven hits.
Gonzalez singled to lead off the third inning, Kike Hernandez replaced him on a fielder's choice and then scored when Verdugo's double hit the top of the Green Monster scoreboard, buying just enough time for him to race around from first.
Toronto rookie Alek Manoah went six innings, allowing one run on four hits and a walk, striking out five.
Guerrero and Teoscar Hernandez singled to lead off the seventh, but Randal Grichuk grounded into a 5-4-3 double play, and then Taylor came on to strike out Rowdy Tellez to strand the runner at third.
The Red Sox had lost four of the previous six games, with their starters allowing 31 runs in 25 innings. In Sunday's loss to Toronto, Boston allowed season highs of 18 runs, 20 hits and 11 extra-base hits.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Blue Jays: Manager Charlie Montoyo said OF George Springer will begin a rehab assignment in Triple-A on Tuesday night. He is expected to play five innings in the field for the Buffalo Bisons in Rochester. The 2017 World Series MVP with Houston, Springer started the season on the injured list with a strained right quadriceps muscle and lasted just four games when he returned in April before going back on the IL.
Red Sox: Acquired pitcher Yacksel Rios from the Mariners for cash. Designated RHP Ryan Weber for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster. Called up INF Michael Chavis from Triple-Worcester for Monday's game.
UP NEXT
Blue Jays: LHP Hyun Jin Ryu (5-4) opens a three-game series against the Yankees, who will send LHP Jordan Montgomery (3-1) to the mound.
Red Sox: LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (5-4) pitches the opener of a two-game series in Atlanta against LHP Tucker Davidson (0-0).
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Explosion at train station leads to discovery of stolen car on Montreal's South Shore: police
Police are investigating after a BMW exploded in the St-Lambert Exo train station parking lot on Montreal's South Shore.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
A candidate for Germany's key party was beaten up while campaigning for European elections
A candidate for Chancellor Olaf Scholz's center-left party in next month's election for the European Parliament was beaten up and seriously injured while campaigning in an eastern city, the party said Saturday.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.