The denizens of Fenway Park reveled in a rare early lead Friday evening after their beloved Boston Red Sox stormed out to an 8-1 advantage over the Toronto Blue Jays, an easy win ostensibly looming for the struggling club.
After notching eight straight victories prior to arriving in Boston, however, the Blue Jays weren't prepared to have their winning streak snapped by the team languishing in the basement of the American League East.
Manager John Gibbons was nevertheless at a loss for words, though, after watching his club erase a massive deficit en route to a ninth consecutive victory.
"It's really tough to explain that game," Gibbons remarked. "But it's a hell of a win."
Despite a brutal start from Drew Hutchison, the Blue Jays' prolific offense exploded for nine runs in the seventh before an out was recorded, the late outburst lifting Toronto to 13-10 victory over the Red Sox. Feasting on Boston's relief corps, the Blue Jays tallied nine hits while sending 12 men to the plate in the pivotal nine-run seventh, the team's highest-scoring inning of the campaign.
"We have a ton of power, and when you have that there's always a chance to come back," Gibbons added.
The Red Sox, meanwhile, needed three relievers to make it through the frame, as neither Matt Barnes - who took over for starter Joe Kelly - nor Junichi Tazawa were able to record a single out in the seventh.
| Boston | IP | H | R | BB | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matt Barnes | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Junichi Tazawa(L, 0-2) | 0 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Tommy Layne | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Though the Red Sox plated a run in both the eighth and ninth innings, the Blue Jays' late onslaught proved insurmountable, sending Boston to a fourth straight loss.