Final, Red Sox 4-3 (10 innings): Craig Breslow closed out the game.
The Blue Jays put a runner aboard in the 10th inning, but they were unable to produce any more magic. The Red Sox snapped their eight-game losing streak despite blowing a three-run lead in the ninth.
Yoenis Cespedes’ RBI single with two outs in the 10th inning was the difference. He knocked in Brock Holt, who singled and swiped two bases to set the table for Cespedes’ clutch knock.
The Red Sox were in cruise control until the ninth inning. Clay Buchholz left after loading the bases, and Koji Uehara failed to record a save. Edwin Encarnacion tied the game with a two-run double off the left field wall.
Buchholz was charged with three runs on four hits and two walks over 8 1/3 innings. He didn’t factor into the decision despite pitching well enough to earn a win.
Mid 10th, Red Sox 4-3: The Red Sox recaptured the lead in the 10th inning.
Brock Holt ripped a bouncer into the hole with one out. Jose Reyes ranged over but couldn’t corral the baseball. Holt reached with an infield single.
Holt swiped second base as Dustin Pedroia struck out swinging. The umpires took another look at the play, but the initial call was upheld. Holt was ruled safe.
Holt took third base with Yoenis Cespedes batting. Cespedes knocked him in and gave the Red Sox a 4-3 lead with an RBI single into center field.
Aaron Sanchez fooled Cespedes with an offspeed pitch, but the slugger still managed to stay back long enough to smack a line drive. He completely muscled the ball into center field. It was an excellent piece of hitting.
Craig Breslow now will enter for Boston. He’s seeking his first save since 2010.
End 9th, 3-3: It’s been that type of season.
The Blue Jays, who had two hits through the first eight innings, scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game at three apiece.
Jose Reyes and Melky Cabrera started the comeback with back-to-back singles. Clay Buchholz, who had been rolling, then walked Jose Bautista to load the bases with one out.
The Red Sox turned to Koji Uehara, who actually has looked human of late. He couldn’t wiggle out of trouble.
Adam Lind hit a ground ball to the right side that resulted in a run-scoring forceout. Bautista’s excellent takeout slide at second base prevented the Red Sox from turning a double play.
Edwin Encarnacion tied the game with a two-run double off the left field wall. It looked off the bat like it had a chance to leave the yard. Yoenis Cespedes couldn’t make a leaping grab, and the ball ricocheted away.
Uehara rebounded to retire Dioner Navarro, but the damage certainly was done.
9:46 p.m., Red Sox 3-0: Clay Buchholz couldn’t finish it off.
Buchholz retired Munenori Kawasaki to begin the bottom of the ninth inning. He then surrendered two singles and a walk.
Koji Uehara is entering the game with the bases loaded and one out in the ninth. Adam Lind is digging in for Toronto.
Mid 9th, Red Sox 3-0: Daniel Nava began and (likely) ended his night with a hit. He’s the only player on either team with more than one hit.
Nava singled into right field with one out in the ninth inning. He then stole second base — his third steal of the season — with two outs.
Mookie Betts ended the inning with a fly ball to center field.
Clay Buchholz will return to the mound in the hopes of nailing down a complete-game shutout.
End 8th, Red Sox 3-0: Clay Buchholz is putting together an excellent start. He’s now three outs away from a complete game effort.
Buchholz retired the side in order in the eighth inning. Dioner Navarro, Colby Rasmus and Danny Valencia went down without making any noise.
Buchholz, who has struck out four, has thrown 89 pitches through eight innings.
Mid 8th, Red Sox 3-0: Todd Redmond tossed a second scoreless inning in relief.
Dustin Pedroia and Mike Napoli both grounded out. Yoenis Cespedes flied out to right field.
Clay Buchholz is coming back out for the bottom of the eighth. He’s been cruising right along, and a complete game is within reach.
End 7th, Red Sox 3-0: The seventh inning ended with a bang.
Will Middlebrooks kickstarted an impressive double play with a diving pick down at the hot corner. The play took a hit away from Edwin Encarnacion, who clearly is hobbled, and helped keep Clay Buchholz’s shutout intact.
Encarnacion is having a hard time getting down the line. The Red Sox had plenty of time to turn two despite the play’s degree of difficulty.
Mid 7th, Red Sox 3-0: Mookie Betts displayed his power in the fifth inning. The rookie showed off his wheels in the seventh.
Betts worked a one-out walk. He then swiped second base, although it wasn’t without some controversy.
Betts initially was called out. He immediately popped up and motioned toward the Red Sox’s dugout to challenge the play, though, as it was pretty clear his foot got in ahead of Munenori Kawasaki’s tag.
The play indeed was overturned following a challenge. But the Red Sox couldn’t cash in with Betts in scoring position.
Christian Vazquez and Brock Holt both flied out to left field. Melky Cabrera was playing very shallow, which almost cost him on Holt’s drive to deep left.
End 6th, Red Sox 3-0: Clay Buchholz kept rolling in the sixth.
Buchholz started the inning by striking out Munenori Kawasaki. He froze Toronto’s No. 9 hitter with a fastball.
Jose Reyes and Melky Cabrera both tested Dustin Pedroia. As you could imagine, the slick-fielding second baseman was up to the challenge.
Mid 6th, Red Sox 3-0: The middle innings have been an issue for J.A. Happ this season, but he bounced back in the sixth after a three-run fifth.
Happ handled Mike Napoli, Allen Craig and Daniel Nava in order. The trio also went down consecutively in the fourth inning.
Napoli put a charge into one, but Melky Cabrera drifted back to make the catch in deep left field.
Craig grounded out, and Nava struck out.
End 5th, Red Sox 3-0: Clay Buchholz survived the fifth inning.
Buchholz, who imploded in the fifth inning of his last start, issued a leadoff walk to Edwin Encarnacion. The right-hander missed with some pitches up.
Buchholz then rebounded to record three straight outs. Dioner Navarro flied out, Colby Rasmus struck out and Danny Valencia grounded out.
Mid 5th, Red Sox 3-0: Mookie Betts and Dustin Pedroia ran into a couple of home runs in the fifth inning.
Betts’ second career homer gave the Red Sox a 1-0 lead. The rookie smoked it down the left field line. It was a no doubter.
Pedroia jumped on a hanging breaking ball with two outs. His dinger was of the two-run variety, as Christian Vazquez worked a one-out walk.
Home plate umpire Tom Hallion didn’t make many friends in the fifth inning. Blue Jays starter J.A. Happ looked frustrated with the strike zone. Brock Holt also appeared dissatisfied after striking out.
End 4th, 0-0: Clay Buchholz is getting the job done.
Buchholz induced three ground ball outs in the fourth inning. The right-hander has allowed just one hit through four scoreless frames.
Buchholz surrendered five runs in the fifth inning of his last start. He probably doesn’t want to go through that again.
Mid 4th, 0-0: J.A. Happ enjoyed a quick and easy fourth inning.
Mike Napoli, Allen Craig and Daniel Nava went down in order. Napoli and Nava both struck out swinging.
Happ has five strikeouts thus far.
End 3rd, 0-0: Offensively, this season hasn’t been Dustin Pedroia’s best. Defensively, he’s been as steady as ever.
Pedroia saved a run with a terrific diving play in the third inning. He robbed Jose Reyes for the final out of the inning.
Danny Valencia singled into center field with one out. He took second base on Munenori Kawasaki’s groundout to first base and probably would have scored if Reyes’ hot shot found its way into right field.
Mid 3rd, 0-0: The Red Sox’s first two hitters of the third inning reached against J.A. Happ, but neither scored. Boston was too aggressive on the bases.
Brock Holt walked, and Christian Vazquez singled into center field. The inning took a turn for the worse, however, when Dustin Pedroia lifted a fly ball to deep left field.
Melky Cabrera raced back onto the warning track to put away Pedroia. Vazquez attempted to tag up and take third base, but Cabrera quickly fired the ball back in to nail the runner.
Yoenis Cespedes lifted a fly ball to right field to end the inning.
End 2nd, 0-0: Brock Holt is handling himself well at shortstop.
Holt, who helped record a couple of outs in the first inning, made a diving stop in the second inning to take a hit away from Edwin Encarnacion. Encarnacion didn’t exactly bust it out of the box, but it was an impressive display of glove work by Boston’s versatile leadoff hitter.
Holt’s play highlighted another 1-2-3 inning for Clay Buchholz.
Mid 2nd, 0-0: The Red Sox put another baserunner aboard in the second inning. But again, Boston couldn’t push him across.
Daniel Nava, getting a rare start against a left-hander, shot a single into right field with one out.
J.A. Happ rebounded from Nava’s base hit to retire Will Middlebrooks and Mookie Betts. Happ, who struck out Middlebrooks and Allen Craig in the inning, has three K’s thus far.
End 1st, 0-0: Clay Buchholz started his evening with a quick, 1-2-3 first inning.
Jose Reyes flied out to right field. Melky Cabrera and Jose Bautista both put the ball on the ground.
Brock Holt, starting at shortstop in place of Xander Bogaerts, was up to the challenge early. He put away Cabrera and Bautista.
Mid 1st, 0-0: J.A. Happ worked through a two-out hit in the first inning.
Happ started his outing by retiring Brock Holt and Dustin Pedroia. Holt grounded to second base, and Pedroia struck out swinging.
Yoenis Cespedes lined a two-out rocket into center field. Second baseman Munenori Kawasaki, who was playing directly behind the bag, laid out for it but came up empty.
Mike Napoli ended the inning with a sinking line drive to right field that hung up just long enough for Jose Bautista to make a running catch.
7:08 p.m.:Â Brock Holt digs in. The Sox and Jays have started things up in Toronto.
6:58 p.m.: The Red Sox placed shortstop Xander Bogaerts on the seven-day concussion disabled list Monday.
Infielder Carlos Rivero was called up from Triple-A Pawtucket to take Bogaerts’ spot on Boston’s active roster.
Bogaerts was drilled in the head by a pitch from Seattle Mariners ace Felix Hernandez on Friday.
5:20 p.m.: David Ortiz dodged a bullet Sunday. The slugger fouled a ball off his foot and hit the ground in pain, but he didn’t suffer any structural damage. Ortiz instead suffered just a bunch of pain.
Ortiz isn’t in Monday’s starting lineup, though. Mike Napoli will serve as the designated hitter while Allen Craig will play first base.
Monday’s compete lineups are below.
Boston Red Sox (56-74)
Brock Holt, SS
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
Yoenis Cespedes, LF
Mike Napoli, DH
Allen Craig, 1B
Daniel Nava, RF
Will Middlebrooks, 3B
Mookie Betts, CF
Christian Vazquez, C
Clay Buchholz, RHP (5-8, 5.94 ERA)
Toronto Blue Jays (66-64)
Jose Reyes, SS
Melky Cabrera, LF
Jose Bautista, RF
Adam Lind, 1B
Edwin Encarnacion, DH
Dioner Navarro, C
Colby Rasmus, CF
Danny Valencia, 3B
Munenori Kawasaki, 2B
J.A. Happ, LHP (8-8, 4.39 ERA)
5 p.m. ET: The Boston Red Sox were playing good baseball when they returned to Fenway Park on Aug. 14. Now, they’re playing some of their worst baseball of the season.
The Red Sox open up a three-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday at Rogers Centre. Boston enters in the midst of an eight-game losing streak that has the club a season-high 18 games under .500 (56-74).
Clay Buchholz will take the ball for the Sox. The right-hander pitched well immediately after returning from the disabled list at the end of June, but he has endured some struggles of late. Buchholz allowed six earned runs on seven hits in his last start, during which he completely imploded after starting out strong.
Monday’s contest marks the beginning of a nine-game, 10-day road trip for the Red Sox. It’s Boston’s second-to-last road trip of the season. The first pitch is scheduled for 7:07 p.m. Tune in on NESN, and keep it right here with NESN.com’s live blog.
