The Toronto Blue Jays pounded out 29 hits, with each starter getting at least two on Friday night, in a big time 28-5 rout of the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park in the opener of a three game series.
Toronto (51-43) scored seven runs in the third inning and knocked out Boston starter Nathan Eovaldi, and then continued to pour it on in the fifth by lighting up the scoreboard by tallying 11 more times. The play that defined the night came with two outs in the third inning with the bases loaded and two outs after Eovaldi had been lifted. The first pitch by reliever Austin Davis to Raimel Tapia was a flyball skied into centerfield towards Jarren Duran. Duran lost the ball in the lights, and it bounced behind him off the warning track. Instead of trying to retrieve it, Duran stood and watched as left fielder Alex Verdugo went to get it. By that time, Tapia had rounded the bases for an inside the park grandslam to make it 10-0. The Jays at one point led 27-3. The Red Sox in their last three games have been outscored 55-8.
Eovaldi (4-3) was tagged with the loss charged with nine runs on eight hits in 2.2 innings. Christian Vazquez and Kevin Plawecki had three hits each, with Vazquez knocking in two runs with a pair of solo homeruns. Jackie Bradley Jr. had a two-run homer, and Rob Refsnyder added a solo shot as well. JD Martinez was a late scratch and didn’t play (back spasms). Lourdes Gurriel Jr. had six hits (career-high) for Toronto with five RBI. Danny Jansen and Tapia knocked in six runs a piece. Jansen had a three-run homer and a two-run homer, while Matt Chapman and Teoscar Hernandez also went deep. Tapia, Alejandro Kirk, Bo Bichette, Hernandez, Chapman, and Jansen had three hits a piece. Hernandez, Jansen, and Santiago Espinal also scored four runs each. Kevin Gausman (7-7) allowed three runs on seven hits with no walks and 10 strikeouts in 5.0 innings to earn the victory on the mound. The Blue Jays threatened the modern day record for runs in one game, set by the Texas Rangers (30) in 2007. The all-time MLB record is 36 by the Chicago Colts (now known as the Cubs) in 1892. Boston (48-46) will look to get back on track in game two of the series on Saturday at 4:10 p.m. Kutter Crawford (2-2, 4.50 ERA) will take the ball on the hill, to be opposed by Alek Manoah (10-4, 2.28) for Toronto. The 28 runs given up by the Sox is a new franchise record, topping 27 they coughed up in back in 1923.
