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AP Photo / Michael Dwyer Boston Red Sox’s Masataka Yoshida, right, celebrates with Jarren Duran after scoring on an RBI-double by Justin Turner during the first inning of a game against the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday in Boston.
The Associated Press
12:59 JST, May 2, 2023
BOSTON (AP) — Alex Verdugo belted a leadoff homer in the ninth inning against Jordan Romano for his third walk-off hit this season, and the Boston Red Sox beat Toronto 6-5 on Monday night to end a nine-game losing streak to the Blue Jays.
Emmanuel Valdez hit his first major league home run, a two-run drive, and Jarren Duran added a solo shot for the Red Sox.
Verdugo also had game-ending hits on Saturday and April 14. This time, he drove a 94 mph fastball from Romano (2-2) into Boston’s bullpen in right-center.
“It feels amazing. It’s just one of those things, trying to take it all in,” Verdugo said, smiling in the middle of the clubhouse. “I told the guys I kind of envisioned it, but I wasn’t like, forcing it to happen.”
Masataka Yoshida had two hits with an RBI and extended his hitting streak to 11 games for Boston, which had lost its last eight games at Fenway Park against the Blue Jays.
Bo Bichette hit a three-run homer and went 5 for 5 for the Blue Jays, who lost for just the fourth time in 12 games. Bichette was moved into the leadoff spot after George Springer was a late scratch due to illness.
Toronto went 16-3 against the Red Sox last season.
Boston shortstop Kiké Hernández made two throwing errors in the eighth when the Blue Jays scored two runs to tie it. The second came on Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s grounder that would have been an inning-ending double play but allowed the tying run instead.
“The last one he rushed,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “He tried to make a play that wasn’t there.”
Josh Winckowski (2-0) pitched two innings of relief.
With the Red Sox trailing 3-2, Duran sent a drive into the center-field seats off José Berríos. Valdez then sent a 95 mph fastball into the seats following a walk to Triston Casas.
Berríos dropped to one knee in front of the rubber as he watched Valdez’s drive sail out.
“It was a big moment for me because I was giving the lead to the team,” Valdez said through a translator. “I feel very happy and grateful for this moment.”
Coming off seven shutout innings in his previous start, Berríos gave up five runs in 5 1/3 innings.
Boston starter Corey Kluber allowed three runs in 5 1/3 innings with seven strikeouts and four walks.
Kluber sandwiched walks to Danny Jansen and Kevin Kiermaier around his second strikeout of the second inning before Bichette drove a curveball into the Green Monster seats.
