The Red Sox’s flight to Baltimore will be a happy one.
Boston earned a 5-0 win over the Toronto Blue Jays in a Thursday matinee to close out a four-game set at Fenway Park.
Chris Sale, who has had plenty of trouble against the Jays in recent memory, delivered a pretty impressive outing, hurling six scoreless frames. Meanwhile, two of the Red Sox’s hottest hitters, Rafael Devers and Mookie Betts, homered.
The Red Sox climbed to 53-44 with the win, while the Blue Jays fell to 36-62 with the loss.
Here’s how it went down:
GAME IN A WORD
Sharp.
The Sox looked pretty good in every facet of Thursday’s contest.
ON THE BUMP
— Sale was in need of a quality outing, and he sure provided one against a team he’s had a tough time with lately. The left-hander allowed two hits while striking out 12 and walking two in his six scoreless stanzas.
The southpaw struck out the side in order in the first, also pitching 1-2-3 innings in the fourth and sixth as well. A runner didn’t reach second until Vlad Guerrero Jr. with two outs in the fifth, but Sale got out of that jam without issue.
𝙁𝙄𝙇𝙏𝙃 pic.twitter.com/nLXuIxtz6Y
— Red Sox (@RedSox) July 18, 2019
— Marcus Walden handled the seventh, tossing a hitless, scoreless frame while hitting one batter with a pitch.
The right-hander returned for the eighth and retired the side in order, striking out Freddy Galvis to end the inning.
— Darwinzon Hernandez closed the door in the ninth, striking out two in a scoreless frame.
IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— Jays starter Thomas Pannone, a Rhode Island native, was pretty good through four innings, but the Red Sox offense finally figured him out in the fifth.
Sam Travis roped a one-out double down the left field line, then came home on a Sandy Leon line single to left-center. Betts proceeded to walk, and Devers responded by launching a first-pitch fastball 417 feet, dropping it in the Sox bullpen to put Boston up 4-0 and end Pannone’s outing.
Oops he did it again.. @Rafael_Devers pic.twitter.com/8iyNrFBtSf
— NESN (@NESN) July 18, 2019
— Still ahead 4-0 in the seventh, Betts furthered the Sox’s lead with a dinger of his own.
Betts kicked off the frame by clubbing a 2-2 slider into left-center for a solo shot, upping Boston’s advantage to 5-0.
MOOOOOOOOK pic.twitter.com/Rz0vXZLKpT
— NESN (@NESN) July 18, 2019
Betts’ homer was 418 feet, one foot longer than Devers’.
— Betts and Xander Bogaerts led the Red Sox with two hits apiece.
— J.D. Martinez, Christian Vazquez, Michael Chavis and Andrew Benintendi went hitless, as did Marco Hernandez in his pinch-hit at-bat.
TWEET OF THE DAY
Mookie is on the verge of making a little history.
Mookie Betts has tied Ted Williams’ Red Sox franchise record for most consecutive games with a run scored in a single season (13). Williams accomplished the feat 73 years ago in 1946 (source: @EliasSports).
Betts entered today leading the majors with 84 runs scored.
— J.P. Long (@SoxNotes) July 18, 2019
UP NEXT
The Red Sox now will travel to Baltimore for a three-game weekend set with the Orioles beginning Friday. David Price is scheduled to get the ball for the Red Sox in the series opener and will be opposed by John Means. First pitch from Camden Yards is set for 7:05 p.m. ET
