Brandon Belt had a solo homer and added the go-ahead RBI single in the sixth as the visiting Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Boston Red Sox 5-4 on Saturday afternoon.
Toronto has won the first two games of the three-game series after losing the first seven games between the teams this season.
Rafael Devers hit a three-run home run for Boston.
Toronto’s George Springer had four hits and a walk and Davis Schneider had three hits and a walk in his second career major league game.
Toronto right-hander Jose Berrios (9-7) allowed three runs and six hits with six strikeouts and no walks in 5 2/3 innings.
Boston right-hander John Schreiber served as the opener and pitched around a single and an error in the first. Nick Pivetta took over in the second and allowed three runs and six hits in four innings.
Toronto took a 3-0 lead in the third. Belt hit his 10th homer of the season on a drive to left with one out. Springer hit a two-out infield single to third, continued to second on a throwing error by Devers, stole third and scored on Alejandro Kirk’s double. Daulton Varsho hit an RBI single,
Boston tied the game in the fourth. Masataka Yoshida and Justin Turner singled and Devers hit his 26th home of the season, a blast to right.
The Blue Jays took a 4-3 lead in the sixth. They loaded the bases against Brennan Bernardino (1-1) on one-out singles by Schneider and Paul DeJong and a walk to Whit Merrifield. Belt hit an RBI single to put Toronto ahead.
Toronto loaded the bases with one out in the ninth against Joe Jacques on a single, a walk and an intentional walk. Kevin Kiermaier then delivered an RBI single.
Tim Mayza, who pitched the eighth, retired Devers to open the ninth before Erik Swanson took over and allowed singles to Adam Duvall, pinch hitter Reese McGuire and Luis Urias to cut the lead to one. The game ended when McGuire was doubled up at second after Kiermaier’s catch at the center-field wall. Swanson picked up his fourth save.
Toronto catcher Danny Jansen (wrist inflammation) was a late scratch,
Boston outfielder Alex Verdugo was scratched with manager Alex Cora indicating afterward that it was a benching.
–Field Level Media
