Red Sox Wrap: Boston Rides James Paxton Gem To Victory

The Boston Red Sox snapped their five-game losing skid Friday, snatching a 5-0 win from the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.

The Red Sox improved to 41-42 on the season with the win, while the Blue Jays fell to 45-38.

Check out the full box score here.

ONE BIG TAKEAWAY
The Red Sox had been scoring like a (bad) soccer team over the course of their losing streak, scoring a total of four runs over the course of their previous four games entering Friday night.

In a series opener against the Blue Jays, the offense finally showed signs of life — and they did it loudly.

Boston belted three homers at Rogers Centre, with Justin Turner, Jarren Duran and Masataka Yoshida all going yard to chase Toronto starter José Berríos from the game. Those runs were enough to build a comfortable lead for James Paxton, who pitched another gem in his home country of Canada.

The 34-year-old lefty was locked in, holding a one-man court at the end of the Red Sox bench in between his trips to the mound. In the end, he went 7 2/3 shutout innings, striking out seven batters and walking just two.

Hey, whatever works.

STARS OF THE GAME
— Paxton pitched his best game as a member of the Red Sox. He threw 110 pitches, his most in a game since 2019.

— Duran crushed a home run in this one, but he also played some outstanding defense in center field. The 26-year-old robbed Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of what very well could have been a home run in the first inning.

— Yoshida had another superb night against the Blue Jays, finishing 3-for-4 from the plate with his home run, two singles and a steal.

WAGER WATCH
Turner broke open the scoring with a solo shot in the fifth inning, netting a solid payout for bettors who saw him having a good night. DraftKings Sportsbook gave him +650 odds to belt a homer, meaning $100 bettors netted a $750 payout with the round tripper.

ON DECK AT NESN
The Red Sox and Blue Jays will continue their three-game set Saturday at Rogers Centre. First pitch on Canada Day is scheduled for 3:07 p.m. ET, and you can watch the game, plus an hour of pregame coverage, on NESN.