Baseball

Yusei Kikuchi Permits Five Runs and Seven Hits in Four Innings; Red Sox Beat Blue Jays 7-3 for 6th Victory in 8 Games

Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP
Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Yusei Kikuchi throws against the Boston Red Sox during first-inning baseball game action in Toronto, Monday, June 17, 2024.

11:23 JST, June 18, 2024

TORONTO (AP) — Tyler O’Neill hit two of Boston’s four home runs, fellow Canadian Nick Pivetta pitched seven innings and the Red Sox beat the Toronto Blue Jays 7-3 on Monday night for their sixth win in eight games.

Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi (16) waits for a new ball after giving up a home run to Boston Red Sox designated hitter Tyler O’Neill (17) in the first inning at Rogers Centre.

One day after setting a team record with nine stolen bases, the Red Sox slugged their way to victory by going deep four times off Yusei Kikuchi, matching his career worst.

Boston didn’t steal any bases, but Romy Gonzalez was caught stealing twice.

Gonzalez got caught in a rundown and was tagged out at third base in the fourth inning. Toronto used video replay to overturn a safe call at third on Boston’s double-steal attempt in the eighth.

Pivetta (4-4) allowed three runs and nine hits. He walked one and struck out four.

Brad Keller got five outs but exited after two Blue Jays reached in the ninth. Kenley Jansen came on and retired Davis Schneider for his 12th save in 13 chances.

O’Neill and Pivetta were both born in the western province of British Columbia.

Boston’s first four hits were all solo homers. O’Neill and Rafael Devers hit back-to-back shots with two outs in the first, Ceddanne Rafaela homered to begin the third and O’Neill launched his second two outs later.

O’Neill’s homers were his 13th and 14th. It was his second multihomer game of the season and the seventh of his career.

O’Neill came in 0 for 9 in his only two previous games in Toronto but turned that around in his first two trips to the plate. He grounded out to end the fifth, was intentionally walked in the seventh and hit into a double play in the ninth.

Devers hit his 14th home run. Ceddanne’s was his eighth.

The Red Sox have scored five runs or more eight times in 12 games. Boston is 27-15 when hitting at least one home run, and 11-20 without one.

Kikuchi (4-6) permitted five runs and seven hits in four innings. He walked none and struck out seven.

The left-hander hadn’t allowed more than one home run in any of his previous 14 starts this season. He last gave up four against Houston on Aug. 2, 2019, his rookie season with Seattle.

Justin Turner reached base three times and hit a solo home run for Toronto, his first since April 29.

Schneider also homered for the Blue Jays, his ninth.