Thursday\u2019s series finale between the Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays ended in the top of the seventh.<\/p>\n
Not due to rain, or some act of a higher power, but because Nathan Lukes\u2019 leadoff home run increased the Blue Jays\u2019 lead to 3-0, and the Red Sox entered the day 0-31 in games in which the opponent leads by three runs at any point, and 1-36 whenever they trailed by any margin after the seventh inning.<\/p>\n
Two innings later, the final tally on the oldest scoreboard in Major League Baseball read: Blue Jays 4, Red Sox 3.<\/p>\n
A rare late rally \u2013 Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Caleb Durbin hitting back-to-back home runs to tie the game in the bottom of the eighth \u2013 made Boston\u2019s 32nd loss in a game in which they trailed by three runs at any point particularly gruesome.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s difficult, but I\u2019m proud of them for battling back,\u201d interim manager Chad Tracy said.<\/p>\n
That veteran right-hander Sonny Gray allowed Toronto to take a 1-0 lead on Vladimir Guerrero Jr.\u2019s one-out home run in the top of the first was largely beside the point, even though the Red Sox are 9-31 when opponents score first.<\/p>\n
The Red Sox, held to one run in Tuesday\u2019s series opener and scoreless in Wednesday\u2019s game, would have needed a miracle to overcome Blue Jays star righty Trey Yesavage, and miracles have been in short supply this season. Yesavage pitched 7 1\/3 innings. He made a bid for perfection in the first three innings, and held Boston to one baserunner, Mickey Gasper, until Ceddanne Rafaela led off the seventh with a double just fair down the left-field line.<\/p>\n
But then, a flurry of miracles, just enough to reignite hope in the Fenway Faithful. Blue Jays left-fielder Yohendrick Pi\u00f1ango doubled with two outs in the eighth, but Rafaela gunned from center to the plate, and catcher Connor Wong\u2019s Superman dive came just in time to tag out George Springer. Kiner-Falefa led off the bottom of the inning with a 360-foot home run to the left-field corner of the Green Monster, and Durbin followed with a sky-high blast to the National Car Rental sign atop the Monster.<\/p>\n
Boston\u2019s first back-to-back home runs since May 26 had tied the game. And after getting Wong to ground out, Yesavage was finally gone. The Jays starter lasted 7 1\/3 innings and allowed three earned runs on four hits, but nearly all the damage was clustered at the end. His 96-pitch performance (66 strikes) included six strikeouts and zero walks.<\/p>\n
Gasper quickly created a lead-taking opportunity with a two-out single off righty Tommy Nance, but Rafaela grounded out to end the inning.<\/p>\n
Out came closer Aroldis Chapman for a rare high-stakes top of the ninth at Fenway and just his third appearance of the month.<\/p>\n
It did not go well. Ernie Clement led off with an infield dribbler shallow enough to allow him to reach first base with a single. Chapman retired Lukes on a first-pitch pop-out in foul territory, and struck out Kazuma Okamoto on four pitches, but Clement\u2019s reach proved costly when Brandon Valenzuela won a nine-pitch battle with an RBI double off the Monster.<\/p>\n
It marked Chapman\u2019s first run allowed since April 4. And the Red Sox were back to where they started, behind.<\/p>\n
Mason Fluharty breezed through a brutal bottom of the ninth. Wilyer Abreu flew out on the second pitch. Willson Contreras and Jarren Duran made the second and final outs on one pitch apiece.<\/p>\n
The Red Sox are 29-43 on the season, 12-25 at home, and 6-17 against their American League East foes.<\/p>\n
Gray day<\/p>\n
Gray\u2019s start was solid despite some early frustrations. But frustration is nothing new to these Red Sox, especially at Fenway. It has been the name of the game for the home-field disadvantaged Boston ball club, an immovable storm cloud hovering all season.<\/p>\n
The home team\u2019s ire was on display throughout the early innings. Andruw Monasterio flung both bat and helmet after striking out to end Yesavage\u2019s third perfect inning. And boos rained down from the semi-crowded stands in the bottom of the fourth when Wilyer Abreu\u2019s one-out flyout to center was too shallow to score Gasper, who had ended Yesavage\u2019s bid for perfection with a leadoff ground-rule double and advanced third on Rafaela\u2019s sacrifice bunt.<\/p>\n
Toronto tacked on a second run in the top of the second when Okamoto doubled with one out, advanced to third on Valenzuela\u2019s single, and scored on Andres Gimenez\u2019s sacrifice fly; the Red Sox entered Thursday 1-38 whenever opponents take a two-run lead at any point in a game.<\/p>\n
Gray then set the Jays down in order in the third, fourth, and fifth. He worked around Jesus Sanchez\u2019s leadoff single in a four-batter sixth, and retired three Jays in order after Lukes\u2019 homer in the seventh. Gray allowed three earned runs on six hits, walked one and struck out four, and needed 89 pitches (63 strikes) to complete seven innings.<\/p>\n
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