The Red Sox showed some resilience on Independence Day.
Boston came back from a 6-1 deficit to defeat the Toronto Blue Jays 8-7 in the rubber match of their three-game set at Rogers Centre.
Michael Chavis’ three-run bomb in the sixth inning capped off the comeback, though Toronto later would tie the game once more at seven, Marco Hernandez put the Sox on top for good with a pinch-hit solo homer in the ninth. J.D. Martinez and Rafael Devers each collected multi-hit nights.
Hector Velazquez got his first start since May 18, but couldn’t make it through three innings. Not to worry, Boston’s bats came to the righty’s rescue.
With the win, the Red Sox moved to 46-41, while the Blue Jays slipped to 33-55 with the loss.
Here’s how it all went down:
GAME IN A WORD
Toughness.
It looked grim for Boston in the early going, but it refused to quit.
ON THE BUMP
— The Blue Jays jumped on Velazquez right away, with Freddy Galvis smacking a one-out double to left-center field in the first. Cavan Biggio and Justin Smoak would pick up back-to-back walks before Rowdy Tellez roped a two-out single to drive in Toronto’s first two runs of the evening.
Velazquez gave up a leadoff solo shot to Danny Jansen in the second, which made it 3-1 Blue Jays. After giving up a Brandon Drury single in the next at-bat, the right-hander managed to escape any further damage.
Alex Cora pulled the plug on Velazquez’s night after Smoak lined a double to center with one out in the third. The righty ultimately lasted 2 1/3 innings, giving up three runs on five hits.
— Colten Brewer was the first reliever out of the ‘pen for Boston.
Jansen led off the fourth with an identical solo shot to dead-center field, making it 4-1 Blue Jays. His second of the night was his sixth home run in his last seven games. Galvis slapped a two-run bomb down the left-field line later in the inning to push Toronto’s lead to 6-1.
— Josh Taylor came in for the fifth in relief of Brewer and recorded a scoreless frame.
— Ryan Brasier entered for the sixth, retiring the side in order.
— Matt Barnes would throw a scoreless seventh, issuing one walk in the process.
— Brandon Workman came in for the eighth and gave up a one-out double to Jansen, putting the game’s tying run in scoring position. Eric Sogard would make the right-hander pay, driving in Jansen to tie the game with a two-out single to right-center field.
Workman allowed back-to-back one-out walks in the ninth, but would escape the jam to seal the win.
IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— Devers continued his ridiculous pace at the place in the first inning, mashing a solo shot to put Boston ahead 1-0 early. The home run was Devers’ 15th of the season.
— Boston would go cold, collecting just one hit in the next five innings, but the offense would wake up a bit in the sixth.
Mookie Betts led off the inning with a walk and moved over to third on a Devers base hit. Xander Bogaerts drove in Betts with a single, followed by another RBI base knock from Martinez, good for his third hit of the night. Jackie Bradley Jr. grounded into a fielder’s choice with the bases juiced to make it 6-4, but the big blow would be next.
Chavis smoked a three-run homer to left field the next at-bat to cap off a six-run sixth inning, putting the Red Sox ahead 7-6.
— Hernandez came up to bat for Sandy Leon in the ninth and promptly gave the Red Sox an 8-7 lead with a solo home run down the left field line.
This would turn out to be the game’s winning run.
TWEET OF THE GAME
Devers has been on fire lately.
UP NEXT
The Red Sox head to Detroit for a three-game weekend set with the Tigers. First pitch for Game 1 from Comerica Park is set for Friday at 7 p.m. ET.
