The Associated Press
Jimmy Golen
BOSTON–Steve Pearce blooped the ball to the edge of the outfield grass and Red Sox second baseman Brock Holt was there.
He planted his feet. He raised his arm to catch it.
But something wasn’t quite right.
Holt lost the ball in the sun–allowing it to glance off his glove for a two-run single that tied the game as the Toronto Blue Jays rallied from an early deficit to top the Boston Red Sox 8-6 yesterday afternoon.
“As weakly as I hit it, I didn’t [expect it to fall],” admitted Pearce, who had three hits yesterday.
“When you put the ball in the air, sometimes [the fielder] just can’t do it,” he added.
“Day game, clear sky. It was a great time for it.”
Ryan Goins followed with a two-run single to give the Jays the lead.
Justin Smoak homered twice but it was a 140-foot duck snort that turned things around and allowed Toronto to leave Boston with a split in the four-game series.
“I don’t care how hard it’s hit, it’s a two-RBI knock. Then Goins comes right behind me, keeps things rolling,” said Pearce, whose team lost nine of their first 10 games of the season and haven’t been above fourth place in the AL East since.
“We’ve had a lot of things going against us, so it’s nice to finally have something go for us.”
Dustin Pedroia had three hits, including a three-run homer, while serving as designated hitter on a 90-degree F day at the end of a grinding homestand.
Including the 15-inning game on Tuesday with Toronto, the division-leading Red Sox played 76 innings in about 144 hours–the equivalent of eight-and-a-half games in six days.
But it was the sun more than the heat that was the problem yesterday, especially for the right-fielders and anyone else who tried to field a pop-up.
“During day games, it’s always pretty bad for the right side of the field–second basemen, right field,” Holt noted.
“It was one of those balls that wasn’t really high enough where I could do anything to move myself and manoeuvre myself to get that out of the sun,” he added.
“I tried to stay with it as long as I could and unfortunately couldn’t make the play. So that one’s on me.”
Dominic Leone (2-0) earned the win.
Toronto starter Francisco Liriano got just five outs, allowing three runs in the second, but the Jays came back with four in the third to take a 5-3 lead against Doug Fister (0-4).
Roberto Osuna pitched the ninth for his 24th save.
Smoak now has 26 homers and 62 RBIs this season. His previous career highs were 20 and 59.
“We still have two-and-a-half more months left in the season, so I just try to keep my head down and keep going,” he said.
Smoak’s RBI single in the sixth gave Toronto a 7-3 lead, then Pedroia’s homer in the seventh made it a one-run game.
Smoak added his second homer in the ninth.
Mookie Betts had two hits and two RBIs for Boston.
Liriano gave up three runs (two earned), five hits, and a walk while striking out one.
He gave up back-to-back doubles to Xander Bogaerts and Sandy Leon, then Betts scored two with a single to give Boston a 3-1 lead in the second.
Elsewhere in the AL, Baltimore topped Texas 9-7, New York beat Seattle 4-1, and Kansas City drubbed Detroit 16-4.
In the NL, New York edged St. Louis 3-2, Arizona bombed Cincinnati 12-2, Pittsburgh beat Milwaukee 4-2, Atlanta doubled L.A. 6-3, and San Diego downed San Francisco 5-2.
