Boston looked destined for its ninth win in 10 games, but the Red Sox dropped an ugly contest after leading 6-1.
The Sox put five on the board in the second and one in the third to take a commanding 6-0 lead. But Mike Shawaryn, Marcus Walden, Matt Barnes and Ryan Brasier couldn’t preserve the lead as Boston ultimately fell 8-7 to the Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway Park.
Brian Johnson pitched well, giving the Red Sox five innings and giving up just one unearned run. The lefty surrendered four hits, no walks and struck out four. But his outing was spoiled by the bullpen after it blew a five-run lead.
An ugly eighth inning proved costly after Ryan Brasier walked in both the go-ahead and insurance run.
The Red Sox did make it interesting in the ninth by coming within a run on some bad communication by Toronto, but couldn’t walk off with the win.
With the loss, the Red Sox dropped to 42-36, while the Blue Jays climbed to 28-49.
Here’s how it all went down:
GAME IN A WORD
Ugly.
The Red Sox held a comfortable six-run lead at one point, but the bullpen gave up seven earned runs.
ON THE BUMP
— Johnson cruised through the first three innings, making easy work of the Blue Jays and keeping them off the board with two 1-2-3 innings.
He ran into a bit of trouble in the fourth when he gave up back-to-back singles to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Guerrero scored on Gurriel’s double when Xander Bogaerts committed a rare throwing error to make it 6-1. Johnson surrendered another single to Teoscar Hernandez to put two on with two out but got out of the inning without allowing any more runs.
Johnson responded by pitching 1-2-3 innings in the fifth.
The left-hander’s afternoon ended after five innings and four hits. Johnson surrendered one unearned run with four strikeouts.
— Shawaryn tossed a 1-2-3 sixth with two strikeouts.
He didn’t have as much luck in the seventh when he gave up a single to Cavan Biggio, which paved the way for Freddy Galvis to take Shawaryn deep and out of Fenway to make it 6-3.
Rowdy Tellez followed that up with a solo shot to center to make it 6-4 and chase Shawaryn from the game.
— Walden came in with one out in the seventh and immediately surrendered a walk to Luke Maile. After getting a strikeout he gave up a single to Guerrero after a lengthy at-bat to put runners on the corners.
Maile scored on a wild pitch to bring Toronto within one but got out of the inning with a strikeout.
— The Blue Jays tied it at 6-6 after Barnes gave up a one-out single to Hernandez, who stole second and scored on a Biggio single that was just out Brock Holt’s reach.
Barnes got the second out but followed that up with a walk, a wild pitch and another walk to load the bases to end his night.
— Brasier walked in the go-ahead run on four pitches, before walking in another run after working Guerrero to a 3-2 count. He finally got out of the inning with a pop out.
— Josh Smith retired the side in order with three strikeouts.
IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— Boston pulled in front in the second by putting together a five-run inning.
Both J.D. Martinez and Christian Vazquez drew walks before Jackie Bradley Jr. drove in both men with a double. Michael Chavis singled to make it 3-0 and ended Derek Law’s afternoon.
Sam Gaviglio got Eduardo Nunez to ground out, but walked Mookie Betts before Andrew Benintendi doubled to make it 5-0.
— The Red Sox added to their lead in the third with a solo shot from Vazquez — his second in less than 24 hours.
— Boston brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth with one out after Betts walked and stole second. What should have been the final out of the game turned into a one-run game when Bogaerts popped out to left but some miscommunication by the Blue Jays led Betts to score to make it 8-7.
But the magic ended when Martinez struck out to end the game.
— Benintendi and Bradley paced Boston with two hits apiece.
TWEET OF THE GAME
Yes, yes we are.
UP NEXT
Boston wraps up its series against the Blue Jays on Sunday afternoon. First pitch from Fenway Park is set for 1:05 p.m. ET.
