Red Sox reactions: Win includes four-hit day from unlikely source, big pinch hit, historic save
· Yahoo Sports
BOSTON — Instant reactions from the Red Sox' 6-4 win over the Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway Park on Friday:
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1. The Red Sox improved to 53-49 while the Blue Jays dropped to 47-57. Boston has won 21 of its past 24 games dating back to June 25.
2. During the first half, the Sox went 17-27 at Fenway Park and 10-17 against the American League East. They are 7-1 at Fenway Park — all against AL East teams — in the second half.
3. Romy Gonzalez — pinch hitting for Connor Wong — hit a go-ahead RBI double down the left field line to give the Red Sox a 5-4 lead in the eighth inning. Jarren Duran scored all the way from first base. Anthony Seigler then added insurance with an RBI double, making it 6-4.
4. Seigler recorded his first career four-hit game. He had never had more than two hits in any of his 61 big league games entering Friday. He led off the bottom of the first inning with a home run, his third of the season. He entered the game batting .167 (9 for 54) in 14 games during July. He connected on a slider from rookie Trey Yesavage and sent it 390 feet to right field.
Seigler also singled to lead off the third inning and doubled to lead off the seventh.
5. Aroldis Chapman moved into solo possession of ninth place on the all-time saves list with his 391, passing Dennis Eckersley (390).
6. The Red Sox held a 4-0 lead entering the seventh inning. But reliever Greg Weissert allowed a 408-foot three-run home run to Kazuma Okamoto, cutting Boston’s lead to 4-3. Weissert has allowed seven home runs in 40 ⅓ innings this season.
7. Garrett Whitlock was charged with his second blown save when he gave up a run in the eighth that tied the game.
Whitlock hadn’t given up a run since June 23. In his previous 13 appearances (12 ⅓ innings) he allowed no runs, four hits and no walks while striking out 10. But he allowed a leadoff double to Nathan Lukes, a single to Daulton Varsho and then an RBI sacrifice fly to Andrés Giménez, making it 4-4.
8. Ceddanne Rafaela’s 376-foot two-run homer that just cleared the Green Monster put the Red Sox ahead 3-0 in the third inning. It was his 10th homer of the season. Like Seigler, Rafaela also homered off a slider from Yesavage.
9. The home runs by both Seigler and Rafaela were impressive considering opponents entered the game batting .217 with just a .181 expected batting average and one home run against Yesavage’s slider, a pitch he has thrown 24% of the time this season.
10. Rafaela is 10 for 34 (.294) with two home runs in eight games during the second half. He has historically been a better first-half hitter. He has a career .747 first-half OPS compared to a career .624 second-half OPS.
11. Rafaela took a hit away from Daulton Varsho when he made a diving catch in right-center field. Varsho’s sinking liner went 307 feet and 87 mph off the bat.
12. Red Sox starter Patrick Sandoval pitched 4 ⅔ scoreless innings, allowing five hits and two walks while striking out three. He needed an easy inning after he threw 44 pitches in the first two innings. He got one with an eight-pitch third inning. He then enjoyed an 11-pitch scoreless fourth inning despite allowing two singles.
13. Sandoval still hasn’t earned a win since May 7, 2024, when he pitched seven scoreless innings for the Angels against the Pirates in Pittsburgh. Interim manager Chad Tracy pulled him with one out remaining in the fifth and two men in scoring position, bringing in Tyron Guerrero to record the final out.
Sandoval underwent internal brace surgery on his throwing elbow in June 2024. It was his third start this season in his return.
14. The Red Sox knocked Yesavage out of the game after just four innings, making him throw 93 pitches. Yesavage allowed three runs, five hits and one walk while striking out nine.
15. Andruw Monasterio’s RBI sacrifice fly in the sixth inning made it 4-0 Red Sox.
16. The Red Sox and Blue Jays will play the second game of their three-game series at 4:10 p.m. Right-hander Sonny Gray (12-1, 2.48 ERA) will start for Boston while right-hander Dylan Cease (6-5, 2.67 ERA) will pitch for Toronto.
More Red Sox coverage
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- Chad Tracy gives Red Sox injury updates; Could Tanner Houck pitch in 2026? When will Ranger Suarez return?
- ‘I’m really living my dream’ says top Red Sox prospect Franklin Arias
- Here’s Red Sox lineup vs. Blue Jays on Friday, channel, probable pitchers
- Red Sox No. 1 prospect takes step closer to big leagues, promoted to Triple A Worcester
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