TORONTO — A red-hot Rafael Devers extended his six-game hitting streak to a third country.
Boston Red Sox’s Christian Vasquez gets a high-five from third base coach Carlos Febles after hitting a solo home run against the Toronto Blue Jays during the seventh inning of a baseball game Tuesday, July 2, 2019, in Toronto. (Fred Thornhill/The Canadian Press via AP)
David Price pitched six innings to win his fifth straight decision, Devers homered twice and matched his career-high with six RBIs, and the Boston Red Sox snapped a three-game losing streak by beating the Toronto Blue Jays, 10-6, on Tuesday night.
Christian Vázquez had a homer among his three hits and Mookie Betts reached base four times for the Red Sox, who were swept in a two-game series against the New York Yankees in London last weekend. Boston lost 8-7 to the White Sox in its final game before travelling to London.
Devers finished 4 for 5. He hit a two-run home run in the first, singled in the second, and chased Blue Jays right-hander Trent Thornton with a two-run single in the third.
“Overall, he’s one of the best third baseman in the big leagues and he’s showing it on a nightly basis,” manager Alex Cora said.
After looking at strike three in the sixth, Devers went deep again in the eighth, a two-run shot off Joe Biagini. It was the fourth multihomer game of his career. The home runs were his 13th and 14th.
Devers has hit safely in six games, going 15 for 27 (.556) in that span. His streak started at home against the White Sox and continued in London before coming to Canada.
“It feels good to be performing as well as I am,” Devers said through a translator.
Boston’s slugging third baseman also homered twice in a six-RBI game against Baltimore last Sept. 26. The Red Sox won that one 19-3.
Cora and Price both said they’re disappointed Devers missed out on making the AL roster for the All-Star game.
“He’s an All-Star,” Price said. “That’s not the way it worked out but he hasn’t changed because of it. He continues to move forward with his defense, at the plate.”
Vázquez doubled and scored in the first, singled and scored in the third, flied out to the warning track in center in the fourth, and homered into the second deck in left in the seventh. The home run, his 12th, came off right-hander Derek Law.
Betts had two singles, walked twice, and scored three runs as the Red Sox won for the fourth time in five games north of the border.
Price (6-2) allowed two runs and four hits in six innings, improving to 10-0 in 13 career starts as an opponent at Rogers Centre. Price made 11 starts for the Blue Jays in 2015.
“He was great,” Cora said. “Velocity was good, command was OK. He made pitches when he had to.”
Price walked a season-high four, one fewer than he had walked in his previous eight starts combined. Price has walked 19 batters in 78 1.3 innings this season. He is unbeaten since a 2-1 defeat to Tampa Bay on April 27, a stretch of 10 starts.
Right-hander Colten Brewer and lefty Josh Taylor each worked one inning before Toronto scored three in the ninth off right-hander Trevor Kelley, who was making his major league debut.
Thornton (2-6) allowed career worsts of seven runs and 11 hits in 2 2/3 innings, the second time this season he has failed to complete three innings. Afterward, Thornton said shortstop Freddy Galvis told him he was tipping his pitches.
“Galvis told me after the game that I was doing a little something that even he could even see,” Thornton said. “We’ll take a deeper look at that.”
Right-hander Sean Reid-Foley replaced Thornton and pitched 3 1/3 no-hit innings.
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