It took much longer than they would have liked, but the Boston Red Sox rallied to grab a 7-4 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night at Rogers Centre.
After being deadlocked at 4 for the latter innings of the game, the Red Sox finally broke it open with a three-run 11th, starting with Xander Bogaerts’ tie-snapping RBI single.
Doug Fister showed some fight in his second start with the Red Sox. The right-hander battled through five innings, allowing three runs on four hits with five strikeouts.
Boston reached base a considerable amount in the contest. The bats accounted for 12 hits, and Toronto’s pitching staff combined for a remarkable 14 walks. Still, it took extras for the Red Sox, who left 17 runners on the base, to win the series opener.
With the win, the Red Sox improve to 45-35, while the Blue Jays fall to 37-42.
Here’s how it all went down.
GAME IN A WORD
Finally.
The Red Sox had countless chances, as the Blue Jays’ shaky pitching allowed the visitors to get runners on base in seemingly every inning. Boston finally seperated itself from Toronto with a three-run 11th inning en route to an impressive road win.
IT WAS OVER WHEN …
Deven Marrero smacked a two-RBI single to give the Red Sox a three-run lead in the 11th inning. With the season Red Sox closer Craig Kimbrel is having, that was more than enough cushion.
ON THE BUMP
— The Blue Jays jumped all over Fister in the first inning. Jose Bautista led off the game with a single, and Josh Donaldson was plunked by a pitch two batters later. Justin Smoak then made Fister pay, blasting a three-run homer to put Toronto on the board.
Fister swiftly sat down the side in order in the second, but the third frame wasn’t so easy. After recording the first two outs in the inning, the Blue Jays loaded the bases, but a Troy Tulowitzki inning-ending groundout allowed the Red Sox to escape unscathed.
After a 1-2-3 fourth inning, Fister ran into some trouble when he walked two batters in the fifth. The right-hander battled, though, and managed to get out of the inning with no damage done.
— Heath Hembree entered in the sixth inning and wasn’t greeted kindly. Troy Tulowitzki took the right-hander deep to even the score at 4.
— Matt Barnes tossed a perfect eighth and ninth inning and recorded two strikeouts in his appearance.
— Blaine Boyer only allowed one hit in his two innings of work, as he pitched a scoreless ninth and 10th.
— Craig Kimbrel picked up his 23rd save of the season with a perfect ninth inning.
IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— Boston’s offense finally cracked the scoreboard in the fifth inning. Marrero led off with a walk, and Mookie Betts followed with an infield single. With one out in the inning, Dustin Pedroia brought home both runners with a double into the left-center field gap.
— The Red Sox bats again made some noise in the sixth. After Jackie Bradley Jr. doubled and Christian Vazquez walked to start the inning, Marrero brought home Boston’s third run with a single. The Sox weren’t done, though, as a Benintendi looping double plated Vazquez to give Boston a 4-3 lead.
TWEET OF THE DAY
Whatever works.
UP NEXT
The Red Sox and Blue Jays will play Game 2 of their three-game series Saturday afternoon. Chris Sale is scheduled to get the ball for Boston and will be countered by Toronto’s Francisco Liriano. First pitch from Rogers Centre is set for 1:07 p.m. ET.
Thumbnail photo via Dan Hamilton/USA TODAY Sports Images
