Red Sox Wrap: Alex Verdugo Homers Twice In 5-3 Win Over Blue Jays
For just the second time this season, the Boston Red Sox have won two straight.
The Red Sox kicked off their three-game weekend set against the Toronto Blue Jays with a 5-3 victory at Fenway Park in Friday’s opener.
Alex Verdugo launched a pair of homers while Mitch Moreland hit his fourth of the year — giving him a share of the team lead in dingers. Ryan Weber got his first win of the season, allowing just two runs in three-plus innings before turning it over to the bullpen, which kept things tidy the rest of the night.
The Red Sox climb to 5-8 with the win, while the Blue Jays fall to 4-7 with the loss.
Here’s how it went down:
More Red Sox: GM Brian O’Halloran Happy With Ron Roenicke As Boston’s Manager
GAME IN A WORD
Tense.
The Red Sox bent often, but never broke. Regardless, it never felt like the Red Sox ran away with the game until Verdugo’s ninth-inning homer.
ON THE BUMP
— Weber has been a bit of a wild ride this season, and it looked like that would remain the case Friday. But he ultimately fared fine enough with a short leash, giving up a pair of runs on five hits with a pair of walks and three strikeouts over three-plus innings.
The 29-year-old’s night got off to a pretty horrid start, as the first hitter of the game, Cavan Biggio, worked a full count before launching a homer into the Monster seats for a quick 1-0 lead.
Leading off with a BANG
@doinitBIGgio23 pic.twitter.com/FvqLXRLou1
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) August 7, 2020
But the righty settled in for the remainder of the first and second before wandering into trouble in the third. After Biggio singled to start the inning, Bo Bichette roped a double down the left-field line that plated Biggio from first to tie the game at two. Bichette would reach third with two outs, but Weber danced out the jam to keep the score level.
Weber returned for the fourth with the Sox up 4-1, but after allowing a leadoff single to Travis Shaw, manager Ron Roenicke saw enough and yanked him.
— Heath Hembree took over and finished the fourth with ease, inducing a pop up and then double play.
— Colten Brewer handled the fifth, pitching a 1-2-3 inning.
— Ryan Brasier got the sixth and stumbled a bit, beginning with a walk to Rowdy Tellez. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. proceeded to rip a double to right that would score Tellez and cut Boston’s lead at the time to 4-3.
— Austin Brice tossed a hitless, scoreless seventh, walking one.
— Matt Barnes danced with danger while trying to protect a 4-3 lead in the eighth, allowing runners to the corners with one out before getting Randal Grichuk to ground into an inning-ending double play.
— Brandon Workman got the ninth and immediately allowed a deep shot to Shaw that was bound for the Blue Jays bullpen, but Verdugo continued his impressive night by robbing the would-be homer.
From there, Workman finished the inning without issue to lock down the win.
IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— In a quick 1-0 hole, the Red Sox responded quickly, though they didn’t need to do much. Andrew Benintendi and Rafael Devers worked leadoff walks, then a one-out walk from Xander Bogaerts loaded the bases. Moreland, continuing the trend, walked in a run to tie the game before Christian Vazquez grounded into a double play to end the inning.
— Verdugo put the Red Sox ahead in the second inning, smacking a leadoff homer into left-center to put the Sox up 2-1.
VEEEEEEEERDUGO pic.twitter.com/1xKHVyzonP
— NESN (@NESN) August 8, 2020
— With the game tied at a pair in the top of the fourth, Bogaerts ripped a one-out single, which was followed up by a Moreland homer to right, putting the Sox up 4-2.
Crushing homers with your (cardboard) family in the stands pic.twitter.com/d9F0VSIuRE
— NESN (@NESN) August 8, 2020
— Verdugo provided some insurance in the ninth, hitting another solo homer to left to put Boston up by the deciding score.
Have a night, Dugie! pic.twitter.com/JODuk0YwcI
— NESN (@NESN) August 8, 2020
— Verdugo and Jose Peraza each had a pair of hits.
— Bogaerts and Moreland each had one hit.
— Benintendi, Rafael Devers, J.D. Martinez, Vazquez and Jackie Bradley Jr. all went hitless.
TWEET OF THE DAY
Red Sox now are 1-0 with cardboard cutouts of their families in the stands.
Pedroia fam wins best cutouts.
No competition. pic.twitter.com/PcPDZe7Gr3— Red Sox (@RedSox) August 7, 2020
UP NEXT
The Red Sox and Blue Jays will play the middle contest of their three-game set Saturday. Zack Godley is set to get the ball for Boston and will be opposed by Chase Anderson. First pitch from Fenway Park is set for 7:30 p.m. ET.