Red Sox
Toronto swept its ninth series this season.
TORONTO (AP) — Matt Chapman hit a game-ending double off the center-field wall in the ninth inning, lifting the Toronto Blue Jays over the Boston Red Sox 3-2 on Sunday for a three-game sweep.
Toronto, which swept its ninth series this season, entered in the AL’s third and final wild card spot, a half-game behind Texas and a half-game ahead of Seattle.
Boston has lost eight of 10 and dropped nine games back of the Blue Jays with 12 games left.
Boston trailed 2-1 when Rafael Devers homered off Erik Swanson (4-2) with two outs in the ninth, Devers’ 33rd home run this season.
Cavan Biggio singled with one out in the bottom half against Garrett Whitlock (5-5), and Chapman followed with his second double of the game.
With All-Star closer Jordan Romano unavailable after pitching the previous two days, Swanson blew a save for the second time in six chances.
The @BlueJays walk it off on back-to-back days to complete the sweep. #SeptemberBaseball
(MLB x @CapitalOne) pic.twitter.com/nJt4HpX0h9
— MLB (@MLB) September 17, 2023
Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette threw Devers out at the plate in the second when he tried to score on Pablo Reyes’ grounder. Devers reached base five times. He singled in the second, walked in the third and fifth, and was hit by a pitch in the seventh.
Kevin Kiermaier hit a sacrifice fly in the second and Daulton Varsho homered in the fifth off Nick Pivetta, who allowed two runs and four hits in 6 1/3 innings. He is winless in four starts.
Reyes had a two-out RBI single in the seventh. Boston was 1 for 14 with runners in scoring position, including 0 for its first 12.
Blue Jays starter Hyun Jin Ryu allowed six hits in 4 2/3 scoreless innings.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Red Sox: Two-time Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber (shoulder) has ended his rehab assignment with Triple-A Worcester and will not pitch again this season, manager Alex Cora said. … RHP Kenley Jansesn (COVID IL) is expected to join the team in Texas this week, Cora said. Jansen is eligible to be activated on Wednesday.
NEW IN BLUE
Umpire Jacob Metz joined the crew at third base Sunday. He replaced Jordan Baker, who left Saturday’s game after eight innings and entered Major League Baseball’s concussion protocol after being struck by multiple foul tips.
UP NEXT
Red Sox: RHP Kutter Crawford (6-7, 4.26 ERA) is expected to start Monday night as the Red Sox visit Texas for a three-game series. LHP Jordan Montgomery (9-11, 3.47) is scheduled for the Rangers.
Blue Jays: LHP Yusei Kikuchi (9-6, 3.81 ERA) is scheduled to start Tuesday night as the Blue Jays travel to New York to begin a three-game series against the Yankees. New York’s scheduled starter is RHP Clarke Schmidt (9-8, 4.56).
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