The Blue Jays’ stay in Beantown began with Danny Jansen making MLB history when he appeared in the same game for both teams, courtesy of a suspended game that would resume two months later as part of a split doubleheader.
Neither the Jays nor the Red Sox are nowhere near elite status, but the games have been entertaining and given the baseball calendar there’s nothing wrong with high drama.
Take, for example, the fourth game of the five-game series, a Wednesday evening matchup dominated by stellar starting pitching.
Bryan Bello would steal the spotlight as the right-hander was simply superb in leading Boston to its 3-0 win, setting up Thursday’s series finale. In eight complete innings, Bello gave up two hits.
Canadian Tyler O’Neill, who has terrorized the Jays, went deep for a two-run blast in the eighth inning to provide the Red Sox with some much-needed margin for error.
The Jays had hit at least one home run in 16 straight games. That streak ended Wednesday at Fenway.
In a matchup of right-handers, Bello didn’t do much wrong.
Outside of the first inning, Chris Bassitt didn’t do much wrong, either, but his wayward first did allow the Bosox to jump out first. As it turned out, it was the only run the Red Sox required to even the series.
Through four innings, Bello only gave up one hit, a second-inning double to Addison Barger.
No walks would be yielded, five strikeouts recorded and 48 pitches needed for Bello when he took the mound to begin the fifth inning.
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Through four innings, Bassitt had increased his K total to seven.
By the very definition, the game became a pitchers’ duel pitting two right-handers who were quite adept at managing the strike zone and keeping hitters off balance by hitting their spots, going up, down and forcing hitters to chase.
Bassitt was basically unhittable and began to record outs with alarming frequency and ease amid so few hard-hit balls. The term over-powering does not apply to Bassitt, who is more of a throwback in how he sets up batters.
At the same time, Bello was no slouch.
Fenway Park has a history and habit of turning any game into a score-fest.
Along comes the Bassitt-Bello matchup and neither team would muster much of anything, aside from the first inning that is.
Bassitt would get lifted for Brandon Little with two outs and two on base in the seventh inning.
Little needed two pitches to record the third out on a fly ball.
Two batters into the eighth and Boston had increased its lead by two, courtesy of the O’Neill dinger.
VARSHO STOPPER
Hitting from the No. 2 hole has done wonders for Varsho.
If you recall, and for diehard fans of the Jays they would soon forget, it was Varsho who batted cleanup to start the 2023 season, which happened to be his first with Toronto.
It wasn’t his fault the Jays traded away a popular player in Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and highly touted catching prospect Gabriel Moreno in the deal with Arizona. To make the deal even worse, or at least put even added pressure on Varsho, was the fact the Diamondbacks advanced all the way to the World Series before falling to the Texas Rangers.
Fast forward to the present and a more relaxed Varsho is playing at a level many envisioned. Much like the rest of his teammates, Varsho is playing with freedom.
Once Kevin Kiermaier was traded to the L.A. Dodgers, centre field became Varsho’s domain. His defence has never been in doubt.
The revelation has been on offence.
Entering Wednesday night’s game, Varsho had a 10-game hit streak. He had also reached base in 23 consecutive games.
Varsho struck out three times. He flew out in his final at-bat, which happened to the game’s final out.
UNLUCKY 13
In the home half of the first inning, Bassitt hit Triston Casas with a pitch, the 13th time Bassitt has hit a batter this season.
First innings have been Bassitt’s bugaboo and Wednesday was no exception.
It began with a Jarren Duran leadoff single and ultimately the game’s first run when Duran used his speed to score from second base on a hit into shallow left field.
Three hits, one hit batter, the home side leaving the bases loaded, it was a minor miracle Bassitt only yielded one run.
At least two runners, if not more, should have crossed home plate, but the Jays caught a break when Casas stumbled rounding the bag at third base.
Bassitt needed 20 pitches to survive the inning, which ended on a Connor Wong strikeout.
Having ended the first on a strikeout, Bassitt struck out the first two batters he faced in the second inning.
When he struck out Ceddanne Rafaela to record the inning’s second out, it was Bassitt’s 1,000th-career strikeout.
LUCKY 13
Bassitt was in a groove once the first inning had ended.
In the home half of the sixth inning, he retired the side in order.
When Bassitt got Wilyer Abreu to pop out, Bassitt had retired 13 batters in a row.
Bassitt fell behind the count 3-1 to Masataka Yoshida to leadoff the seventh.
Yoshida sent a sinking liner into centre field that appeared to be trapped by Varsho, who sold the play, prompting the Jays to ask for a video review.
The play was rightfully upheld.