It just wasn’t Rick Porcello’s night.
The Red Sox pitcher was shelled for eight runs on seven hits, while giving up a season-high four walks in Boston’s 13-7 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night at Fenway Park. Porcello made it to just the third inning, but he wasn’t able to record an out before manager Alex Cora had to go to the bullpen.
The Red Sox had the lead twice, but once they lost it in the third, the team just couldn’t recover, and Toronto halted Bostons 10-game winning streak despite committing four errors on the night.
With the loss, the Red Sox slip to 66-30, while the Blue Jays improve to 43-50.
Here’s how it all went down:
GAME IN A WORD
Tough.
After a thrilling five-run second inning and another rally in the fourth, Toronto’s offense was just too much as it put the game out of the reach in the later innings.
ON THE BUMP
— Porcello ran into some trouble in the second after he gave up back-to-back walks to begin the inning. Kevin Pillar then doubled to deep left to tie the game at one before Dwight Smith Jr. plated a run with a sacrifice fly. Toronto would score its third run of the inning on a Lourdes Gurriel Jr. single before the third out.
The Blue Jays loudly answered back in the third after a five-run second inning from Boston when Justin Smoak sent a solo shot into the bullpen to cut Toronto’s deficit to 6-4.
Porcello continued to flounder after the home run as Kendrys Morales and Russell Martin reached base with no outs before Kevin Pillar tied the game at six with a two-RBI double. Smith then sent a two-run blast to right to give the Jays the lead and spell the end of Porcello’s night.
— Hector Velazquez relieved Porcello in the third and got out of the inning while collecting a strikeout.
He found himself in a two-out, bases loaded jam in the fourth, but was able to escape without damage after Smith grounded out to end the threat for Toronto.
— Tyler Thornburg hurled a scoreless fifth with two strikeouts.
— Ryan Brasier tossed two scoreless, hitless innings.
— Joe Kelly led the eighth inning off by hitting Gurriel before giving up a single to Yangervis Solarte. Gurriel advanced to third on a passed ball and later scored after Smoak singled him in for a 9-7 Toronto lead. Kelly’s night would be over before recording an out.
— Robby Scott took over for the righty, but he gave up a run to the first batter he faced when Morales hit a ground-rule double that hopped into the right-field seats to score Solarte.
Toronto would plate its 11th run after Pillar singled to left, but the Jays would leave runners on first and second as Scott finally got out of the inning.
Scott hit Curtis Granderson to begin the ninth and got the next two outs, but Smoak, once again, gave Red Sox pitching trouble as he smashed a two-run shot to left to break the game open at 13-7.
IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— Boston struck first after Mookie Betts led the game off with a triple and later scored when J.D. Martinez grounded into a fielder’s choice to give the Red Sox an early 1-0 lead.
— After the Red Sox put two on with no outs in the second, Jackie Bradley Jr. singled to score Sam Travis to bring the team within a run before Betts gave Boston the lead with his second triple in as many at-bats, this time plating two runs.
A Brock Holt single drove in Betts for the fifth run before he stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error from Jays starter Ryan Borucki. The error proved costly as Xander Bogaerts drove him in with a single off the Green Monster before Eduardo Nunez grounded out to end the five-run frame.
— The Red Sox got a run back in the fourth before loading the bases with two outs, but Bradley grounded out, ending the potential threat.
— Holt began the eighth with a double but Boston couldn’t push him across the plate as Martinez and Bogaerts each struck out before Mitch Moreland grounded out to end the inning.
— Betts led the way for the Sox with three hits, while Martinez and Holt had two of their own.
— Nunez and Sandy Leon were the only members of the starting nine to go hitless on the night.
TWEET OF THE GAME
Paging Mookie Betts.
UP NEXT
The two sides will meet for their third game of the series Saturday afternoon as Eduardo Rodriguez will take the mound for Boston. First pitch from Fenway Park is set for 1:05 p.m. ET.
