Once again, the Boston Red Sox couldn’t get their bats going and paid the price with a 6-2 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays at the Rogers Center on Monday night.
Boston has now lost five out of their last six games to sport a 7-10 record while the Blue Jays improve to an American League East-best 11-6.
Check out the full box score here.
ONE BIG TAKEAWAY
Boston’s offense right now resembles that of a PG movie with little to no offensive material being found.
The Red Sox have been abysmal at the plate this season even though the offense was supposed to carry Boston. It’s been the complete opposite, as the Red Sox have now been held to four runs or fewer in each of their last eight games.
The Red Sox mustered just three hits through the first seven innings — they finished with seven hits — and blew a golden opportunity to take an early lead in the second frame when Christian Arroyo grounded out into a double play with the bases loaded.
Boston’s offense wasn’t completely silent as it snapped a 15-inning scoreless streak in the eighth when Kiké Hernández singled home a run and Alex Verdugo plated another with a sacrifice fly to tie the game at 2-2.
But that’s certainly not enough offense from a lineup that is expected to provide way more than it has.
STARS OF THE GAME
— Bo Bichette’s grand slam in the bottom of the eighth ultimately proved to be the difference. Bichette took a pitch from Boston reliever Tyler Danish over the fence in right field to take down Boston. For Bichette, it was his only hit of the game, but it was a massive one.
— Nathan Eovaldi was exceptional in this one and he really made only two mistakes — giving up home runs to Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Matt Chapman in the fifth and seventh innings, respectively — over the course of his outing. Boston’s ace deserved a better fate as he pitched seven innings, allowing only the two runs and five hits along with five strikeouts.
— George Springer made one of the best catches of the young season to rob Kevin Plawecki of an extra-base hit. Springer tracked down a line drive in the left-center field gap and made an incredible, full-extension grab.
WAGER WATCH
Picking Lourdes Gurriel Jr. to take a pitch over the fence would have been a smart move by bettors with a solid pay day attached to it. Gurriel was +450 coming into the contest to hit a home run, so a $100 bet would have netted a total payout of $550.
ON DECK AT NESN
The Red Sox look to bounce back in the second game of a four-game set with the Blue Jays on Tuesday. First pitch is scheduled for 7:07 p.m. ET and you can watch coverage of the game on NESN.
