BOSTON — José Berríos was masterful on the mound, delivering a dominant performance that spanned seven scoreless innings, helping the Toronto Blue Jays cruise to a convincing 9-0 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Friday night. George Springer had an outstanding outing as well, contributing three hits and two crucial RBI singles to bolster the Blue Jays’ offense. Toronto continued its impressive form against its AL East competitors, having claimed victory in six of their eight encounters this season.
Berríos, who improved his record to 4-3, allowed just four hits while striking out eight. He effectively subdued Boston’s bats, issuing just one walk, and contributing to the Red Sox’s struggles as they suffered their sixth consecutive defeat.
Brayan Bello took the mound for Boston and, despite a valiant effort over six innings, conceded three runs on eight hits with one strikeout. Unfortunately for him and the Red Sox, the lineup struggled to provide run support, having produced only four runs in their last three games combined. Boston has found themselves shut out or restricted to a single run in 15 of their games this season.
In a concerning trend, opponents have scored at least eight runs against Boston in four of their past nine games—all resulting in losses for the Red Sox.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr., a key player for Toronto, was initially uncertain to play after he sustained an injury in a previous game. However, after his X-rays came back negative for a fracture, he was a surprise addition to the lineup, collecting two hits in the process. Manager John Schneider had considered opting for Ernie Clement at first base to be cautious.
A pivotal moment came in the first inning. With two runners on and two outs, Springer sent a line drive to center field. Guerrero Jr. attempted to score from second but was initially ruled out at home by catcher Connor Wong on a throw from centerfielder Ceddanne Rafaela. Toronto challenged the decision and a review overturned the call, showing the tag was missed.
For Boston, this loss marked their first six-game losing streak since late September of the previous year.
Looking ahead, the Blue Jays are poised to start Chris Bassitt, boasting a 7-3 record and a 3.61 ERA, while the Red Sox will send Lucas Giolito to the mound, who holds a 3-1 record with a 4.53 ERA. Both are expected to make key starts on Saturday in what promises to be another gripping match-up.