Bowden Francis pitched seven innings of one-hit ball en route to his fourth straight victory as the visiting Toronto Blue Jays beat the Boston Red Sox 2-0 on Thursday.
Francis (8-3) worked 5 1/3 hitless innings to begin the game after carrying a no-hitter into the ninth inning on Saturday against the Los Angeles Angels. On Thursday, he struck out five and walked one in his 70-pitch outing.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Ernie Clement and Brian Serven all went 2-for-4, combining for four of the Blue Jays’ five doubles and six of the team’s seven hits. Guerrero and Clement each drove in a run.
Genesis Cabrera and Chad Green each pitched scoreless innings to close out a two-hitter. Green locked down his 16th save after hitting Mickey Gasper with two outs in the ninth.
Nick Sogard and Danny Jansen recorded the two hits for Boston, which had won the previous two games in the four-game series.
Red Sox starter Kutter Crawford (8-12) took the loss after tossing 6 2/3 innings of three-run ball. He gave up six hits and two walks while striking out three.
Behind him, 44-year-old Rich Hill fanned two over 1 1/3 shutout innings in the first appearance of his 20th consecutive major league season.
The Blue Jays took a 1-0 lead on a pair of third-inning doubles. Serven led off with a fly that Red Sox center fielder Jarren Duran lost in the lights. After two outs were recorded, Guerrero drove home the opening run as he ripped a double to right field.
Francis set down the Red Sox in order through the first three innings before Duran became the first Boston baserunner when he reached on an error while leading off the fourth. However, catcher Serven and shortstop Ernie Clement combined to catch Duran stealing second.
The Blue Jays tacked on a key insurance run on two-out doubles by Addison Barger and Clement in the sixth. Clement’s RBI knock got down at the base of the Green Monster in the left field corner.
Nick Sogard dunked Boston’s first hit into left with one out in the bottom of the sixth before Francis retired the last five batters he faced.
The 28-year-old did not issue a walk for the third time in four starts, a 29-inning span over which he has allowed just two runs on six hits and three walks while striking out 32.
After Crawford issued a two-out walk in the seventh, Hill struck out Daulton Varsho to end the threat.
In Toronto’s ninth, Red Sox reliever Greg Weissert narrowly missed starting a triple play when he dove off the mound to snag Leo Jimenez’s pop. Weissert doubled Clement off second base, but Davis Schneider was able to slide back into first just in time.
–Field Level Media