The Canadian Press
David Alter
TORONTO–The Boston Red Sox and their high-powered offence was just too much for a pitcher who was tried out as starter due to a depleted roster.
“He was facing the hottest team in baseball. I didn’t think he got out of control by any means,” Toronto Blue Jays’ manager John Gibbons said of Mike Hauschild.
Boston got to Hauschild early and often, eventually forcing Gibbons to pull him in the third inning, as the Jays fell 10-5 to the Red Sox last night.
Hauschild (1-1) gave up three hits, four earned runs, and three walks in 2.3 innings of work.
He made his second appearance this season after he threw six scoreless innings in relief in Seattle on Aug. 2.
In that appearance, he recorded his first major-league victory.
“The biggest difference tonight was just pounding the zone,” Hauschild said. “With my fastball, it kind of looked like they eliminated it in the third inning there.
“I made a couple of mistakes and they hit it pretty hard.”
Toronto ended up using six pitchers to get through the game–an occurrence that has become the norm due to a starting rotation that lost its ace, J.A. Happ, at the trade deadline and Aaron Sanchez (currently on the 10-day disabled list with a right finger contusion).
“It definitely gets your bullpen for that following night, that’s really who it affects” Gibbons noted.
“But as a team, they understand the circumstances.”
Rafael Devers hit a two-run home run and Xander Bogaerts drove in three runs for the Red Sox (81-34), who racked up 12 hits in the game.
Brian Johnson (3-3) earned the win for Boston. He pitched seven innings and allowed five runs, six hits, and two walks while striking out six batter.
“He did an outstanding job,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “For him to go seven innings, that was excellent for us.”
Teoscar Hernandez and Randal Grichuk homered for the Jays (51-62).
Boston opened the scoring in the third inning. With the bases loaded and nobody out, Andrew Benintendi hit a sacrifice fly to centre, scoring Devers for a 1-0 lead.
Mitch Moreland followed with a two-run double to make it 3-0.
J.D. Martinez later singled that ended Hauschild’s night.
Bogaerts then hit a sacrifice fly off Toronto reliever Luis Santos to cap a four-run inning.
In the fifth, Bogaerts recorded an RBI walk to give Boston a 5-0 lead.
Devers added to Boston’s hit parade with a two-run home run in the sixth inning to make it 7-0.
Toronto replied later in the inning. Hernandez hit his 17th homer of the season to cut Boston’s lead to 7-2.
In the seventh, Bogaerts hit an RBI double to give Boston an 8-2 lead.
Toronto responded later in the inning with a three-run homer by Grichuk to cut the Red Sox advantage to 8-5.
In the eight, Martinez hit an RBI single to give Boston a 9-5 lead.
Then with the bases loaded, Joe Biagini threw a wild pitch that allowed Benintendi to score.
The Red Sox improved to 6-0 in the month of August.
Elsewhere in the AL, Cleveland beat Minnesota 5-2, Baltimore edged Tampa Bay 5-4, New York dumped Chicago 7-3, Texas topped Seattle 11-7, and L.A. blanked Detroit 6-0.
Over in the NL, New York pounded Cincinnati 8-0, Pittsburgh nipped Colorado 4-3, Arizona blanked Philadelphia 6-0, Atlanta beat Washington 8-3, St. Louis dumped Miami 7-1, and Milwaukee doubled San Diego 8-4.
Kansas City thumped the Chicago Cubs 9-0 and Oakland edged the L.A. Dodgers 3-2 in interleague play.
