Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter Brandon Belt (13) hits an RBI single during the sixth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park, August 5, 2023Bob DeChiara/Reuters
Brandon Belt hit a solo homer over the Green Monster and had a go-ahead single, George Springer went 4-for-4 and the Toronto Blue Jays held off the Boston Red Sox 5-4 on Saturday for the second straight day after losing their first seven against them this season.
The game ended on a double play when Connor Wong hit a drive that Kevin Kiermaier caught at the base of the left-centre field wall and fired to second to double up Reese McGuire, who had raced toward home and was standing at third, thinking the ball would be off the wall.
It was the eighth win in 13 games for the Blue Jays, who hold the American League’s third and final wild-card spot.
Rafael Devers hit his 26th homer, a long, game-tying three-run homer for Boston, which lost for the sixth time in seven games and fell into last place in the AL East.
Making his first start after a splendid July when he posted a 1.84 ERA in five starts, Toronto’s José Berríos (9-7) gave up three runs in 5 2/3 innings on six hits, with six strikeouts and no walks.
Erik Swanson got the final two outs for his fourth save after giving up Luis Urías’ RBI single.
Belt’s bases-loaded single gave Toronto a 4-3 edge against Brennan Bernardino (1-1) in the sixth.
It could have been worse for the Red Sox, but Josh Winckowski entered and got Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to bounce into an inning-ending double play with the bases-loaded.
Guerrero went 0-for-5 and stranded six baserunners.
Devers’ shot over Toronto’s bullpen erased a 3-0 deficit in the fourth after singles by Masataka Yoshida and Justin Turner
Coming off a season high-tying five-homer night in a victory on Friday, Toronto made it 3-0 in the third with chants from a large contingent of fans yelling “Let’s Go Blue Jays!’’
Belt homered into the second row of Monster seats off Nick Pivetta before Alejandro Kirk’s RBI double and Daulton Varsho’s run-scoring single.