BOSTON — It took them a while, but the Toronto Blue Jays finally woke up.
The Boston Red Sox took Toronto into extras Tuesday night in an unusually low-scoring affair at Fenway Park. But a four-run Blue Jays rally in the 10th inning sparked by Josh Donaldson’s leadoff triple proved to be the difference in Boston’s 5-1 loss.
GAME IN A WORD
Grounded.
After combining for 26 hits on Labor Day, neither side could get the bats going early, mustering two runs on eight total hits through nine innings. Donaldson and the Jays broke free in the 10th, but it was still an underwhelming performance from both offenses.
IT WAS OVER WHEN…
Donaldson missed a home run by a literal inch in the 10th inning.
Donaldson slid into third for a triple that stood upon further review, and the wheels fell off from there, as Boston allowed four runs in the frame.
ON THE BUMP
— Henry Owens quieted the high-flying Blue Jays lineup, but it wasn’t pretty.
The rookie left-hander allowed one run on just three hits over 5 1/3 innings but issued four walks, hit two batters, threw two wild pitches and balked. He threw 54 of his 95 pitches for strikes.
Owens drilled Ben Revere with a fastball to start the contest, then allowed him to score the game’s first run after a walk, wild pitch and an RBI groundout by Troy Tulowitzki.
The 23-year-old showed a knack for escaping jams, however, stranding six Toronto runners over five-plus innings of work.
— Reliever Jean Machi helped Owens strand two more Blue Jays in the sixth inning.
Entering the game with one out and runners at the corners, the right-hander got Kevin Pillar to ground into an inning-ending, 6-4-3 double play to close the book on Owens.
— Tommy Layne entered with one out in the top of the seventh and issued a walk to pinch-hitter Russell Martin. He induced a lineout from Justin Smoak before getting pulled.
— Noe Ramirez relieved Layne and got out of the seventh, but allowed the first two baserunners to reach on an error and a walk in the eighth. He was relieved by Junichi Tazawa after striking out Tulowitzki.
— Tazawa battled his way out of the eighth-inning jam, striking out Chris Colabello and retiring Pillar on a laser right at third baseman Pablo Sandoval.
— Robbie Ross Jr. worked a scoreless ninth, setting the Blue Jays down in order.
— Alexi Ogando took the loss, surrendering four runs on three hits and an intentional walk in the 10th inning.
IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— For two red-hot offenses, both the Sox and Jays had a difficult time scoring. They entered the 10th inning a combined 0-for-17 with runners in scoring position.
— Travis Shaw blasted his second homer in as many games when he deposited a knuckleball from R.A. Dickey into the right field seats in the second inning. He now has nine homers in 41 big-league contests.
— Mookie Betts extended his hitting streak to a career-high 14 games with a single in the third inning.
— Sandoval led off the fifth inning with a wall-ball double, one of just four hits for Boston. He advanced to third on a Brock Holt groundout, but Blake Swihart and Jackie Bradley Jr. failed to bring him home.
— Dustin Pedroia made his first hit since coming off the disabled list a loud one when he smacked a leadoff double off the Green Monster in the sixth inning. He was replaced by Josh Rutledge after the ninth inning and finished 1-for-4 with a strikeout.
— Jackie Bradley Jr. came back to Earth after a scintillating Labor Day performance. The right fielder finished 0-for-3 with two strikeouts, snapping an eight-game hitting streak and a string of five games with at least one RBI.
TWEET OF THE GAME
Yup, Pedroia is back.
UP NEXT
Joe Kelly will aim for his eighth consecutive win Wednesday night as the Red Sox close out their three-game set with the Blue Jays at Fenway Park. Toronto will counter with right-hander Drew Hutchison. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET.
Thumbnail photo via Mark L. Baer/USA TODAY Sports Images
