Boston pitcher Payton Tolle delivered an impressive performance, allowing only two hits in eight innings against the Blue Jays. Caleb Durbin’s grand slam in the eighth inning helped the Red Sox secure a 7-0 victory over Toronto on Thursday.
Durbin’s home run, his 12th of the season, came off Toronto’s reliever Chase Lee and was crucial for the Red Sox (65-56), who managed to win one game in the four-game series.
Despite the defeat, the Blue Jays have been in good form, winning 11 of their last 17 games as they aim to close in on the American League’s third wild-card spot.
The series against the Red Sox was a positive start for the Blue Jays in their upcoming 10-game stretch against Boston, the New York Yankees, and the AL-leading Tampa Bay Rays. The Yankees are set to face the Blue Jays with Gerrit Cole, Cam Schlittler, and Ryan Weathers as the scheduled starting pitchers.
Red Sox’s Tolle has been in excellent form, winning his last seven starts. In the game at Rogers Centre with a crowd of 43,442, Tolle (8-6) allowed only two hits, two walks, and struck out four batters.
Max Scherzer reached a significant milestone by pitching 3,000 career innings, becoming the 139th pitcher in MLB history to achieve this feat. Despite the achievement, Scherzer expressed disappointment as the milestone came in a losing effort.
Scherzer (1-5) faced various injuries early in the season, affecting his performance. He battled through injuries to support the team until being sidelined in late April and later in June and July.
The Red Sox took an early lead in the game, scoring in the first inning and adding two more runs in the ninth inning. The visitors finished the season series with a 4-9 record against Toronto, their most losses against any team in 2026.
In the key moment of the game, the Red Sox loaded the bases with two outs, but Scherzer managed to end the threat by inducing a flyout to right field.
Despite a recent losing streak, the Red Sox have the best record in MLB since the trade deadline at 19-8. Toronto’s Shane Bieber (3-2) will face New York Yankees’ Gerrit Cole (6-5) in the upcoming series.