Red Sox rough up Stripling early to even series with Blue Jays
Toronto starter concedes 5 runs in opening frame, allows 8 hits over 3, 2/3rd innings
Alex Verdugo and J.D. Martinez hit back-to-back homers during a five-run first inning, Garrett Richards won his fourth straight decision and the Boston Red Sox beat the Toronto Blue Jays 7-3 on Wednesday night.
Kike Hernandez and Christian Vazquez also went deep for the Red Sox, who are 13-6 on the road. Boston has outhomered its opponents 57-32.
Toronto, which lost for only the second time in eight games, got a two-run homer from Marcus Semien. A victory would have moved the Blue Jays past Boston into first place in the AL East.
Boston's right-handed hitters emphasized hitting the ball to right field during batting practice as the wind continued a recent trend of briskly blowing in, especially in the early innings, from left field at TD Ballpark.
Richards (4-2) allowed two runs, seven hits and four walks with five strikeouts over 6 2/3 innings. The right-hander induced three double-play grounders.
Hernandez drove a second-inning solo homer through the breeze to left to put Boston ahead 6-1. He had three hits, coming within a triple of the cycle.
Semien's homer off Garrett Whitlock pulled Toronto to 6-3 in the seventh.
Marcus Semien already has TEN homers! 💣 <a href="https://t.co/P3kBUd3teU">pic.twitter.com/P3kBUd3teU</a>
—@BlueJaysVazquez hit a solo shot in the eighth.
The first four Toronto batters reached base safely against Richards but the Blue Jays scored just once in the first inning on Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s double. Semien drew a leadoff walk but overran third on Bo Bichette's double and was thrown trying to return to the base.
Stripling gave up six runs and eight hits in 3 2/3 innings.
Jays' prospect shining in triple-A
Top Blue Jays pitching prospect Alek Manoah delivered his third strong start in as many outings on Wednesday night for the triple-A Buffalo Bisons.
The right-hander, who was assigned to the top level of the minor leagues this season after finishing the 2019 campaign playing short-season class-A ball in Vancouver, allowed one run on four hits in six innings against the Worcester Red Sox.
The Blue Jays' first-round pick (11th overall) in the 2019 draft, Manoah has given up just one run in three starts (18 innings) this year after not pitching last season with the minor leagues cancelled because of COVID-19. He has struck out 27 and walked three.
Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins said last week that the team has been talking about the possibility of giving Manoah a shot in the big leagues.
The Blue Jays have had battled injury problems with their pitching staff this season. Struggling right-hander Ross Stripling was pulled in the fourth inning Wednesday night in Boston after giving up six runs on eight hits.
