José Soriano delivered six innings of one-run ball in his home debut on Wednesday, anchoring a dramatic eighth-inning surge that powered the Toronto Blue Jays past the Boston Red Sox 6-4 at Rogers Centre and pushed their winning streak in the series to three games.
The Blue Jays outlasted the Red Sox in a tense Wednesday matchup that remained deadlocked until a late-inning defensive breakdown unlocked the offense. Toronto capitalized in the bottom of the eighth when catcher Willson Contreras dropped a routine popup in foul territory just behind home plate. Kazuma Okamoto punished the mistake on the very next pitch, ripping a single into left field to drive in the go-ahead run.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Sparks Eighth-Inning Surge Against Tyron Guerrero
The error opened the floodgates in a nightmare frame for Boston reliever Tyron Guerrero. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. raced home from second base on Okamoto’s hit, executing a belly-flop slide that beat the throw from Jarren Duran and knocked his helmet loose to give Toronto a 2-1 lead.
Interim manager Chad Tracy turned to Tyron Guerrero because usual eighth-inning reliever Garrett Whitlock was unavailable due to right elbow inflammation. Guerrero looked like a diminished version of his usual overpowering self, with his sinker averaging 99.1 miles per hour compared to his season average of 100.1. Tyron Guerrero’s ERA rose from 2.03 to 3.19 after he was charged with four earned runs in the inning.
An intentional walk to Andrés Giménez loaded the bases before an unintentional, nine-pitch walk to Ernie Clement forced home another run. George Springer added a sacrifice fly RBI, and Myles Straw doubled into the gap to bring home two more. By the time the inning ended, the Blue Jays had broken open a tight game, sending the home crowd into a frenzy.
José Soriano Shines in Home Debut After Trade Deadline Arrival
Before the late offense took over, José Soriano put together six innings of one-run pitching to anchor the Blue Jays. Acquired from the Angels in a trade package headlined by prospect Arjun Nimmala, Soriano flashed the potential that convinced Toronto’s front office to make the move.
Working primarily with catchers Alejandro Kirk and Brandon Valenzuela, Soriano benefited from adjustments that included increased sinker usage and a reduced reliance on his four-seamer. Manager John Schneider praised the right-hander’s composure on the mound.
“He’s got a really slow heartbeat. He was really good, in control and he’s already taken to what we’ve talked about, just trying to get his stuff in the zone. He did that.”
On the other side, Red Sox starter Ranger Suarez turned in his best outing since returning from the injured list. Suarez navigated five innings, holding Toronto to one run on six hits and one walk while striking out two batters on 81 pitches.
Series Finale Nears as Boston Seeks to Avoid Sweep
A late three-run rally by the Red Sox in the top of the ninth brought the potential tying run to the batter’s box, but Nick Sogard grounded out to end the contest. The Red Sox dropped to 64-56 overall and 3-9 against Toronto this season, setting up a Thursday afternoon series finale where Boston will attempt to avoid a sweep.
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