Blue Jays use 9-run 5th to beat skidding Red Sox 12-4

TORONTO (AP) — Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit a two-run homer, Teoscar Hernández had three hits and three RBIs, and the Toronto Blue Jays used a nine-run fifth inning to beat Boston 12-4 on Friday night, handing the skidding Red Sox their seventh loss in eight games.

Rookie right-hander Alek Manoah (4-1) allowed two runs and four hits in five innings to win for the third time in four starts as Toronto improved to 7-1 since returning north of the border July 30.

The Red Sox have scored five runs or fewer in 13 straight games, leaving shortstop Xander Bogaerts feeling frustrated.

“Maybe we should try harder because apparently what we’re doing right now is not enough,” Bogaerts said. “This game is about whoever is putting up more runs. It’s a really, really bad time to be playing bad right now.”

Boston has been outscored 57-22 over the past eight games.

“When it’s going bad, it’s going real bad,” Bogaerts said.

Toronto (58-49) is a season-best nine games above .500.

George Springer had two hits and drove in three runs, while Bo Bichette had two hits and an RBI for the Blue Jays, who wiped out a 2-0 deficit by sending 14 batters to the plate in the pivotal fifth. Toronto had nine hits in the inning, seven of them for extra bases.

“That was incredible,” said Blue Jays outfielder Randal Grichuk, who scored three runs. “That was just kind of a glimpse of what this offense is capable of.”

Alejandro Kirk, Grichuk and Breyvic Valera opened the fifth with consecutive doubles off Red Sox right-hander Nathan Eovaldi (9-7). Springer flied out, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was intentionally walked and Marcus Semien struck out.

Bichette followed with a tiebreaking single, Hernández lined the first pitch he saw to center for a two-run double, and...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Blue-Jays-use-9-run-5th-to-beat-skidding-Red-Sox-16371081.php