The Toronto Blue Jays' Jay Jackson celebrates with Alejandro Kirk after defeating the Boston Red Sox in a baseball game in Boston on Aug. 6, 2023.Steven Senne/AP Photo
Davis Schneider went 4 for 5 with a homer and four RBIs, and the Toronto Blue Jays completed a weekend sweep of the Boston Red Sox with a 13-1 rout Sunday.
Matt Chapman had a two-run double after Red Sox centrefielder Jarren Duran misplayed a fly ball that would have been the final out of a four-run third inning.
Toronto moved five games ahead of the last-place Red Sox in the AL East for the third and final American League wild-card spot. The third-place Blue Jays lost their first seven games against Boston this season before the three-game sweep at Fenway Park.
Triston Casas homered for Boston, which has dropped seven of eight. Red Sox infielder Pablo Reyes pitched a scoreless ninth, starting out with a 41 mph pitch.
Chris Bassitt (11-6) went seven innings, giving up a run on seven hits. He struck out six and walked three.
With a runner on first in the third, George Springer hit a high fly to right-centre against Chris Murphy (1-1). Duran made a long run and was steadying to make the grab when he reached, missed the ball and it bounced off the warning track into Boston’s bullpen for a ground-rule double.
Chapman followed with his double off the Green Monster, and Cavan Biggio had an RBI double before Kevin Kiermaier added a run-scoring single.
Schneider, who homered in his first major league at-bat Friday, belted his shot completely out of Fenway over the Monster in the fourth.
The Blue Jays broke it open with a five-run fifth. Chapman and Kiermaier each had an RBI single in the inning.
PAINFUL GRAB
Kiermaier made a spectacular leaping grab on Luis Urias’ sixth-inning fly ball and crashed into the center-field wall but walked off with a right arm injury.
BACK IN
Boston right fielder Alex Verdugo was back in the lineup after being benched by manager Alex Cora on Saturday.
“Sometimes you’ve got to show him some tough love and sometimes you’ve got to be there for him in another way,” Cora said before the game. “That’s what I’m trying to do.”
Verdugo made a nice running grab up against the short wall near Pesky’s Pole and went 3 for 4.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Blue Jays: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. got the day off after going 0 for 5 on Saturday. Toronto catcher Danny Jansen was out of the lineup for the second straight day with right wrist inflammation.
Red Sox: LHP Chris Sale (shoulder inflammation) struck out seven over 4 1/3 scoreless innings in his second rehab start for Triple-A Worcester. INF Trevor Story (off-season right elbow surgery) played shortstop for the WooSox and homered as he nears the end of his rehab assignment. “It’s spring training for him,” Cora said. “It’s how he feels bodywise.” Story is slated to have Monday off and play the next two days.
UP NEXT
Blue Jays: LHP Hyun Jin Ryu (0-1, 7.20 ERA) starts the opener of a four-game series in Cleveland on Monday. RHP Gavin Williams (1-3, 3.38) goes for the Guardians.
Red Sox: RHP Brayan Bello (8-6, 3.79) pitches the first of four games at Fenway Park against Kansas City on Monday night. LHP Cole Ragans (3-3, 4.33) starts for the Royals.