Red Sox blank Blue Jays 5‑0 behind Suarez, Weissert
TORONTO (Interstat) — Ranger Suárez tossed eight innings of one-hit ball, striking out 10, and the Boston Red Sox beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-0 on Monday night at Rogers Centre to extend their winning streak to three games, their longest of the season.
The victory also gave Boston its second consecutive win under interim manager Chad Tracy, who took over after the Red Sox fired manager Alex Cora and five coaches Saturday following a 10-17 start. The Red Sox improved to 12-17, while Toronto fell to 12-16.
Suárez allowed only a fourth-inning double by Jesús Sánchez and walked one batter over his 8.0 innings. He threw 53 balls and 16 strikes, with 16 balls in play. The left-hander, who had struggled in his previous start — allowing four runs in 4.2 innings against the New York Yankees — rebounded to match his dominant outing from April 17, when he tossed eight shutout innings against Detroit. Suárez’s record evened at 2-2.
Greg Weissert pitched the ninth inning, surrendering one hit — a double by Daulton Varsho — but no runs, striking out none and walking none. Weissert threw 14 strikes and 42 balls, with 14 balls in play. The Red Sox bullpen combined for two hits allowed.
Boston’s offense manufactured runs in the fourth, fifth, sixth and eighth innings. The Red Sox broke a scoreless tie in the top of the fourth against Toronto starter Dylan Cease. Willson Contreras led off with a single, and after a lineout, Wilyer Abreu walked. Following a popout, Marcelo Mayer singled to center, scoring Contreras for a 1-0 lead.
Boston added three runs in the fifth. Caleb Durbin walked, and after a forceout, Jarren Duran was hit by a pitch. Roman Anthony then singled to score Duran, and Abreu doubled to right field, driving in Contreras and sending Anthony to third. Anthony later scored on a double play groundout later in the inning, though the play description shows Abreu’s double scoring Contreras and Anthony reaching third; the third run came when Cease was relieved and the next batter, Trevor Story, flew out, ending the inning. The scoreboard showed Boston leading 5-0 after the fifth, but the actual runs scored in that inning were two: Duran and Contreras. The sixth inning provided the final run.
In the sixth, Mayer walked, Ceddanne Rafaela singled, and after a double play, Caleb Durbin singled to left to score Mayer, making it 5-0.
Carlos Narváez added a solo home run in the eighth inning off Chase Lee, his second of the year, to cap the scoring.
Toronto’s lineup was held to just two hits: Sánchez’s double in the fourth and Varsho’s double in the ninth. The Blue Jays never advanced a runner past second base. Toronto struck out 13 times against Boston pitching.
Cease took the loss, allowing four runs on seven hits over 5.2 innings. He struck out five and walked two. Cease fell to 1-1 on the season. Relievers Tommy Nance, Chase Lee, Joe Mantiply and Dylan Cease — actually Nance, Lee, Mantiply and Chase Lee — combined for 3.1 innings, allowing one run on two hits. Mantiply struck out two.
For Boston, Wilyer Abreu went 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI. Marcelo Mayer was 2 for 3 with a walk, an RBI and a run scored. Caleb Durbin drove in a run with a single. Narváez finished 1 for 4 with the home run.
The game lasted 2 hours, 30 minutes in front of an announced crowd of 41,785.
Boston had lost six straight before Friday’s 10-3 defeat to Baltimore, but rebounded with a 17-1 win Saturday and a 5-3 win Sunday. The Red Sox will play the Blue Jays again Tuesday and Wednesday before returning home to host Houston.
Toronto had won three of its previous four games, including a 4-2 win over Cleveland on Sunday, but could not generate any offense Monday. The Blue Jays will host Boston again Tuesday and Wednesday, then travel to Minnesota for four games.
Interstat’s game simulator projected a final score of Toronto 4, Boston 3. Interstat’s ELO system gave Toronto a 55.40 percent probability to win. The Blue Jays were installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus 1.5. The total score of 5 went over the over/under line of 7.