BOSTON: Xander Bogaerts hit a tying homer in the ninth inning and catcher Christian Vzquez manufactured the winning run with his legs, rallying the Boston Red Sox past the Toronto Blue Jays 9-8 on Saturday night.
Bogaerts leadoff shot to center field off closer Anthony Bass (2-3) made it 8-all before Vzquez reached on a fielder’s choice with one out. Vzquez stole second and advanced to third as catcher Caleb Josephs throw sailed into center field for an error.
Yairo Muoz hit a dribbler to third, but Travis Shaws throw to the plate was off target and Vzquez slid in safely.
Jackie Bradley Jr. hit a two-run homer, Rafael Devers homered and had three RBIs, and J.D. Martinez and Bobby Dalbec added solo shots for Boston. Mike Kickham (1-0) struck out four in two scoreless innings.
The Red Sox have won two straight after losing five of six.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a three-run homer for the Blue Jays, and Teoscar Hernndez had three hits including a solo homer.
Toronto has dropped four of seven, but still leads Detroit and Baltimore by three games for the second AL wild card.
Guerreros homer in the sixth made it a one-run game, and Joe Panik hit a go-ahead double to make it 7-6 in the seventh. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. added an RBI infield single with the bases loaded.
Devers homered in the eighth to bring Boston within a run.
Martinez hit the first of three Boston homers in a four-run second. Bradley followed with a two-run shot after Vzquez singled, and Dalbec launched a two-out homer to make it 4-1.
Dalbecs long ball ended an 0-for-14 stretch after he homered for his first big league hit in his Aug. 30 debut against Washington.
Vzquez finished with three hits. Ryan Weber allowed two runs and five hits over five innings in his longest start of the season.
Hernndez led off the second with a homer to center. Shaw doubled in the fourth to plate Torontos second run.
MISSING GILES?
Ken Giles has missed all but two games this season, but the veteran closer is nearing a return as Toronto makes its postseason push. Giles threw live batting practice and will do so again on Tuesday. To lose him was a big blow, but what this team is doing, somebody picks somebody up and thats why were still hanging in there, manager Charlie Montoyo said.
SEPTEMBER CALL-UPS
With the Red Sox out of the playoff picture, manager Ron Roenicke said the team will use the final three weeks of the season to look at different players from their alternate training site. Unfortunately, were in a position where we can try some things, Roenicke said.
TRAINERS ROOM
Blue Jays: Gurriel and 2B Cavan Biggio were not in the lineup after playing in both games of Fridays doubleheader. Trying to keep them healthy, but pretty soon Im going to say not many more days off after this, Montoyo said. Both later entered as a pinch- hitters. SS Bo Bichette (right knee sprain) hit a pair of line-drive singles against Giles and will take live batting practice again Sunday.
Red Sox: RHP Nathan Eovaldi (right calf strain) played catch and will throw a bullpen Sunday. Eovaldi still has no target date for his return, but if all goes well on Sunday, he will throw an up-and-down bullpen before Tuesdays doubleheader at Philadelphia. We want this thing to be gone first, so we havent put a date on it, Roenicke said.
UP NEXT
RHP Andrew Triggs (0-2, 16.20 ERA) will make his first start for Boston to conclude the series on Sunday afternoon. Toronto had not announced a starter for the finale.
___
More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
LIVE TV
