Although Fenway Park is usually a difficult spot for home runs, the Boston Red Sox showed they were comfortable at home by scoring four in a 7-6 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday night.
Connor Wong was toxic to visiting pitchers. The catcher already had two hits on his record when he relegated Zach Pop’s bid just past the red line to the “green monster.” After consultation, officers decided the shot was valid, but Wong didn’t want to take any chances.
On his next shot, in the eighth inning, the 26-year-old stretched his arms again to score the deciding run, this time past Erik Swanson (1-1). Christian Arroyo and Masataka Yoshida also got shots wide against starter Yusei Kikuchi.
Trailing 3-0, the Jays put all their eggs in one basket by hitting six runs in the fifth inning. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. set the example with a single payout, then a mistake from Wong at the plate equalized. Daulton Varsho put an end to that productive turn of the stick by clearing the trails with a homer.
In the standings, Boston (17-14) is closing in on third place in the American League East, held by Toronto (18-12), after two consecutive wins. The two teams meet on Wednesday and Thursday.
A duel at the top
In St. Petersburg, the Tampa Bay Rays won the first game of a series at the top of the table against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The hosts were strong both offensively and defensively and secured a 4-1 win.
Everything seems to be working out for the Rays (24-6), who have the best record in Major League Baseball. Even against strong opponents like the Pirates (20-10), the crowd favorites allowed themselves a little imagination.
In the fifth inning, Wander Franco hit first base with a single and Jose Siri finished third. After a pitch from Roansy Contreras (3-2), first stole second base while second stormed the plate. This match, no doubt meticulously planned by the two accomplices, made the difference in this clash.
Harold Ramirez did the rest with a long solo ball and a single to Randy Arozarena’s goal.
The Rays used a committee of assists for this duel and it was Colin Poche (3-0) who was credited with the win after playing an inning in the fifth.