BSJ Game Report: Blue Jays 13, Red Sox 1 - Boston suffers sweep in disastrous series finale against Toronto

Top of the fifth: After the Jays scratched across two more runs in the fourth to make things go from bad to worse, the worst came in the top of the fifth, a five-run frame for Toronto. Mauricio Llovera made it easy on the Blue Jays' lineup with a leadoff walk before a hit-batsman. Left a sinker up in the zone and over the heart of the plate on Kevin Kiermaier's RBI single to start off the scoring. Batting practice continued through the end of the top half of the inning as Toronto's lead ballooned to 11-1.

ZERO UP

Casas (1-for-3, BB, HR, K, RBI) had the home run, and Alex Verdugo went 3-for-4 after yesterday’s benching. Those are all well and good and deserve mention, but mean nothing in the blowout and sweep.

FOUR DOWN

Jarren Duran: Should have made the catch in the third inning that allowed Toronto to get on the board and take all sorts of momentum against a listless Red Sox team. Could have been a completely different game if he made that play. Wasn't any better at the plate, going 0-for-5 with a pair of strikeouts, including the game-ending K.

"That was terrible leadership on my part," Duran said of the play in the third inning. "I didn't talk to [Verdugo] before the play. The ball was gonna cross over into the sun, which would have been easier for him to make the play, but I didn't take charge. ... Just an all-around terrible play on my part. It's totally on me. I should have made the play. I didn't communicate."

Reese McGuire: Zero bounce back from last night’s blunder on the bases. 0-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts.

Chris Murphy: Boston needed Murphy to take a chunk of innings after Brennan Bernardino opened yet another bullpen game, and he failed to deliver. Completely lost control of the strike zone, missing his spots and leaving pitches hanging over the heart of the plate. Gave up seven hits (one HR) and six runs (earned) with two walks in just 2.1 innings of work. 

Mauricio Llovera: Again couldn’t do anything to stop the bleeding. Like Murphy, made it easy on Toronto, missing over the plate. Gave up three hits and five runs (earned) with two walks in 1.1 innings. 

NOTABLE 

It was the sixth sweep at home for the Red Sox this season. 

The Mariners (59-52, 3.0 GB) and Yankees (58-53, 4.0 GB) have passed the Red Sox (57-54, 5.0. GB) in the AL Wild Card standings.

In Boston's first seven games (7-0) against Toronto this season, they had a .348 average, averaged 7.0 runs per game with had a plus-20 run differential. Starters had a 4.17 ERA and the bullpen was at 2.73. 

In these last three (0-3), the Sox hit .242, averaging 2.7 runs per game with a minus-17 differential. Starters had a 5.14 ERA and the bullpen had a 9.45 ERA.

Chris Sale threw 4.1 shutout innings in his rehab start with Triple-A Worcester, giving up three singles with seven strikeouts on 53 pitches. Sale only allowed four hits, two walks and no earned runs with 10 Ks through 6.1 combined innings in his two rehab starts with the WooSox. 

Trevor Story hit his third home run with the WooSox, going 2-for-3 with a double, two RBI, two runs and two walks as well in today's rehab start. 

QUOTE OF NOTE

"Tough weekend. Tough," Alex Cora told reporters. "They pitched better than us, played better defense than us, run the bases better and hit. ... There's not much we have to say. They outplayed us the whole weekend, and obviously, we've been through stuff like this the whole season. Up and down. ... Show up tomorrow and play good baseball. That's all we can do. 

UP NEXT

The Sox will look to turn the page when they open a four-game set against the Royals, beginning Monday at 7:10 p.m. at Fenway as the homestand rolls on. RHP Brayan Bello (8-6, 3.79 ERA) will face LHP Cole Ragans (3-3, 4.33 ERA).