TORONTO — Vladimir Guerrero Jr. delivered a crucial three-run homer in the eighth inning to lift the Toronto Blue Jays to a 4-2 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Thursday night. Additionally, Daulton Varsho provided a solo home run, showcasing their offensive firepower. The game started with the Blue Jays trailing 2-0 through the first six innings, but Varsho sparked the comeback in the seventh inning by connecting with a pitch from Tanner Houck for a solo homer, marking his second home run in as many games since being activated from the injured list. Varsho had been sidelined at the start of the season following surgery on his right shoulder.
The standout performances of Toronto’s bullpen played a key role in securing the win. Mason Fluharty retired all four batters he faced, and Yimi Garcia closed out the game to earn his second save. This victory marked the first time since a winning streak from April 15-18 that the Blue Jays have managed consecutive victories.
Guerrero’s 404-foot homer to left field erased a 2-1 deficit, coming off a pitch from Justin Slaten in the eighth inning. Unfortunately for Slaten, this marked his second consecutive loss despite benefiting from a strong performance by Houck, who allowed just one run on four hits over seven innings. Houck, who did not issue any walks and struck out six, has seen the Red Sox lose his last five starts.
On the Blue Jays’ side, starting pitcher José Berríos delivered a solid performance, allowing two runs on seven hits over 6 2/3 innings while striking out eight. The Red Sox managed to score their runs thanks to a bases-loaded double by Alex Bregman in the fifth inning.
An exciting sequence in the eighth inning featured Nathan Lukes hitting a single with one out, followed by Bo Bichette doubling past Wilyer Abreu in right field. Guerrero then followed with his fourth home run of the season, completing the pivotal turnaround for Toronto.
The Blue Jays have shown effectiveness with the long ball, boasting a 3-0 record when hitting two or more home runs in a game. In their previous contest, they hit a season-high of three homers contributing to a 7-6 victory.
Looking ahead, the Red Sox will have right-handed pitcher Brayan Bello (2-0, 3.27 ERA) take the mound against the Minnesota Twins’ Joe Ryan (2-2, 3.18 ERA) on Friday. The Blue Jays will counter with right-handed pitcher Chris Bassitt (2-2, 2.62 ERA) as they face off against Cleveland’s left-hander Logan Allen (1-2, 4.21 ERA).