Boston’s Payton Tolle pitched a dominant game, allowing only two hits over eight innings, while Caleb Durbin’s grand slam in the eighth inning led the Red Sox to a 7-0 victory over the Blue Jays on Thursday. Durbin’s home run, his 12th of the season, came against Toronto’s Chase Lee, helping Boston secure one win in the four-game series.
Despite the loss, the Blue Jays have won 11 of their last 17 games, moving them closer to the American League’s final wild-card spot. The series against the Red Sox marked the beginning of a challenging 10-game stretch for Toronto, including matchups against the Yankees and the AL-leading Tampa Bay Rays.
Boston’s win extended Tolle’s winning streak to seven consecutive starts. Tolle, with an 8-6 record, started the game by allowing a walk and a single but efficiently shut down the Blue Jays for the rest of his outing, only giving up two hits with two walks and four strikeouts.
Max Scherzer reached a career milestone by pitching his 3,000th inning, becoming the 139th pitcher in MLB history to achieve this feat. Despite the achievement, Scherzer, who has faced various injuries this season, expressed disappointment as the milestone came in a losing effort.
The Red Sox took an early lead and maintained their advantage throughout the game, eventually securing the victory. The Blue Jays’ Andres Gimenez saw his seven-game hit streak end, while the Red Sox finished the season series with a 4-9 record against Toronto, their most losses against any team in 2026.
In a key moment, Scherzer got out of a bases-loaded jam in the fourth inning, showcasing his experience and skill on the mound. Despite a recent losing streak, the Red Sox have the best record in MLB since the trade deadline, with a 19-8 record, edging out other top teams like the Rays and the Braves.
The upcoming series will feature Toronto’s Shane Bieber facing off against New York Yankees’ Gerrit Cole in what promises to be an exciting three-game matchup.
