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Red Sox Scratch-out Win vs Rays

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ST PETERSBURG – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Jarren Duran drove in the winning run in a small-ball eighth inning as the Red Sox evened their three-game series with Tampa Bay on Wednesday, edging the Rays 2-1 in Florida.

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After Trevor Story (2-for-3, homer, two runs) opened the eighth with a weak single past Drew Rasmussen (0-2), the Boston shortstop stole second and third. With one out, Duran slapped the winning hit to right for the Red Sox (76-76).

Boston starter Tanner Houck yielded one run and four hits in four innings. He struck out four without issuing a walk.

Justin Slaten (6-2) pitched out of trouble in the seventh. Red Sox closer Kenley Jansen worked around two walks in the ninth to notch his 27th save.

Josh Lowe (double, run), Jonny DeLuca (hit by pitch) and Taylor Walls (RBI, walk, stolen base) had two hits apiece for Tampa Bay (74-78).

Rays starter Ryan Pepiot dominated Boston for six innings, allowing just one run on two hits and no walks while fanning a career-high 12 batters. He crafted an immaculate inning (struck out all three batters on a total of nine pitches) in the fifth.

One night after tying their season high by going deep four times in an 8-3 win, the Rays produced a second-inning run. Lowe doubled with one out and DeLuca was hit by a pitch. After a strikeout, Taylor Walls slapped a liner that scored Lowe for a 1-0 lead.

In the fifth, Pepiot blew away the Red Sox lineup, whiffing Connor Wong looking and Wilyer Abreu and Triston Casas swinging.

The first-year Rays hurler set down 15 of the first 16 Boston batters he faced — 10 by strikeouts, nine swinging.

However, Story was ready to swing right away in the sixth and belted a first-pitch 93 mph fastball to left-center, making it 1-all with his second homer of the year.

Not known for his defense, Rays left fielder Christopher Morel prevented two runs in the seventh by ending the inning with a leaping catch above the fence’s pads on Casas’ drive with two runners on base.

–Field Level Media

Joe Castiglione to Retire

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BOSTON – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame broadcaster Joe Castiglione, the voice of the Boston Red Sox radio for over four decades, announced his retirement from the WEEI broadcast booth. His 42-season tenure (1983-2024) stands as the longest of any play-by-play announcer in franchise history. Castiglione will remain part of the Red Sox family in an honorary ambassador role. The club will pay tribute to his storied career prior to its final regular season game on September 29 at Fenway Park.

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“After 42 seasons with the Red Sox and more than 6,500 games, I have decided it’s time to retire from a regular broadcast schedule,” said Castiglione. “While I feel I am at the pinnacle of my career, have been blessed to call four World Championships, and received the Ford C. Frick Award from the Hall of Fame in July while working for the greatest franchise in sports, it’s time to spend more time with Jan, my bride of almost 53 years, my kids, and grandkids. The Red Sox and Audacy have been wonderful to me and have let me call my own shots, which is so rare in broadcasting. They will keep me in the family as a club representative making appearances with clients and fans, working special events, and filling in on game broadcasts when the need arises. While I will miss the daily interactions with baseball people and talking to the fans of Red Sox Nation, I think this is the right decision for my family and myself.”

“Joe is one of the greatest in baseball broadcasting,” said Red Sox Principal Owner John Henry. “His recognition by the Hall of Fame in July punctuated a career of vivid storytelling that has brought the game to life for generations of listeners. His brilliance in the booth is matched only by his exceptional character. Though his role has placed him squarely in the spotlight, he has aways let the action on the field take center stage, a trait he has shown even behind the mic with an uncanny ability to put others first. His kindness and genuine spirit have touched everyone around him and as he steps into a well-deserved retirement, he leaves behind a legacy of humility and warmth that will continue to inspire us all. We are grateful for his more than four decades of dedication and for sharing his love for baseball and the Red Sox with all of us night after night.”

“Joe calls games with an authenticity that makes every listener feel like an insider,” said Red Sox Chairman Tom Werner. “He turns every play into a shared experience, perfectly capturing our joy and disbelief with his unforgettable call ‘Can you believe it?’ after the final out of the 2004 World Series. He has carried us through loss and disappointment with compassion and sincerity and has been a nightly companion to millions for generations, earning his place as one of New England’s most beloved voices. So many of us at the Red Sox have been lucky to have him as a friend and witness the incredible relationships he built with the many broadcasters he’s mentored over the years. His legacy will last well beyond his final call, and we are profoundly thankful for his service and the immeasurable impact he’s had on our organization and the game of baseball.”

“You’d be hard-pressed to find someone more friendly and dependable than Joe,” said Red Sox President & CEO Sam Kennedy. “Like countless New Englanders, I grew up listening to him call Red Sox games every season and his broadcasts always felt like a conversation with a trusted friend, a rare gift that made him a fixture in homes across the region. After working with him for over two decades, I have come to appreciate that Joe’s talent in the broadcast booth is an attribute equaled only by his unfailing kindness. He is down-to-earth and one of the most authentic individuals I’ve ever had the privilege of working with. It’s difficult to have imagined a better voice or a finer person to serve as the narrator of Red Sox baseball these past four decades and he has certainly earned a very well-deserved retirement.”

“Joe Castiglione has provided the soundtrack of summer to Sox fans throughout New England on the WEEI Red Sox Radio Network for 42 seasons,” said Mike Thomas, SVP/Market Manager, Audacy Boston. “To work any job for 42 years is a colossal accomplishment, but to do play-by-play for one team for that long is legendary. As great as Joe is in the booth, he’s an even better person and teammate. It has been a privilege to listen to Joe and an honor to work with him. Congratulations Joe and thank you for bringing the sights and sounds of the Sox through our radio for so many memorable moments.”

Born March 2, 1947, in Hamden, Connecticut, Castiglione graduated from Colgate University and earned his master’s degree from Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communication. He began his broadcasting career at WFMJ-TV in Youngstown, Ohio, before calling MLB games for Cleveland (1979, 1982) and Milwaukee (1981). He joined the Red Sox broadcast team in 1983, first airing games for WPLM and later for WRKO/WEEI beginning in 1989. Over the years, Castiglione’s voice has become synonymous with iconic Red Sox moments, including the final outs of each of the club’s four World Series victories from 2004 to 2018.

In July 2024, Castiglione received the prestigious Ford C. Frick Award, presented annually by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum for excellence in broadcasting. He was inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2014 in a class that included Pedro Martinez, Roger Clemens, and Nomar Garciaparra. In 2022, Fenway Park’s home radio booth was officially named the “Joe Castiglione Booth” to honor his storied career.

Devers Delivers vs Cole, Yanks

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BRONX – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s 3B Rafael Devers hit a two-run single with the bases loaded in the fifth inning to continue his dominance of New York’s SP Gerrit Cole and the Red Sox snapped a seven-game road losing streak with a 7-1 victory over the host Yankees on Saturday afternoon in New York.

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The Red Sox (75-74) avoided falling under .500 for the first time since June 11 after opening the series with a pair of one-run losses.

Cole (6-5) hit Devers with a pitch in the first inning and intentionally walked the slugger with one out in the fourth to set up a three-run inning. According to YES Network (sourcing stathead.com), it was on record the earliest intentional walk with the bases empty ever issued by the Yankees.

In the fifth, Cole was forced to face Devers after grazing Jarren Duran with a pitch. Devers improved to 14-for-40 in the regular season off Cole by lining a 1-0 curveball to right field that allowed Trevor Story and Danny Jansen to score and give the Red Sox a 5-1 cushion.

Masataka Yoshida started Boston’s comeback with a tying RBI ground-rule double in the fourth, two batters after Devers drew his free pass. In the fifth, Yoshida followed Devers’ hit with a two-run single after Cole hit Tyler O’Neill with a pitch.

OF Wilyer Abreu put the Red Sox ahead 3-1 in the fourth with a two-run single. Earlier, Abreu made a strong throw from right field to throw out Alex Verdugo at second in the third inning.

Boston’s SP Brayan Bello (14-7) allowed one run on four hits in 5 1/3 innings and retired Aaron Judge three times after the slugger hit a go-ahead grand slam on Friday. Bello struck out two, walked two in improving to 4-2 in his past six starts.

Four relievers followed Bello, including left-hander Zach Penrod, who made his major league debut and retired Anthony Rizzo with two on to end the eighth.

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Before using four fingers on his right hand to signal he wanted to put Devers on, Cole retired nine of the first 10 hitters. After hitting Devers, he got O’Neill to bounce into a double play to end the first.

Cole was lifted after Yoshida’s single in the fifth and heard some boos while coming off the mound.

The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner was tagged for a season-high seven runs on five hits in 4 1/3 innings. He has allowed 11 runs on 12 hits in 8 2/3 innings during his two starts against the Red Sox this season.

New York’s Gleyber Torres hit an RBI single in the third for the Yankees (86-63), whose magic number to clinch a playoff spot remained at four.

–Field Level Media

 

Paxton to Retire at Season’s End

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NEW YORK – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston Red Sox left-handed pitcher James Paxton announced he will retire at the conclusion of this season. Paxton, 35, made three starts following a trade from the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 26. The Ladner, British Columbia native has been on the injured list since Aug. 12, one day after he sustained a strained right calf while attempting to cover first base in a game against the Houston Astros.

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“I’m hoping that we can squeak into the post-season and I can get the opportunity to pitch again,” Paxton said on the “Baseball Isn’t Boring” podcast. “But I think after this season [I’m] going to be retiring and moving on to the next chapter.
“It was tough. Obviously, I think that I can still do it. I can still go out there and compete and help a team win. But I just think with where my family’s at and what they need right now, they need me home, and I feel a duty and a responsibility to be at home with my family. And I’m looking forward to being at home with my family and spending more time with them, too.”
Paxton is 9-3 with a 4.40 earned-run average in 21 starts this season with the Dodgers and Red Sox.
He is a 73-41 with a 3.77 ERA in 177 regular-season starts for the Seattle Mariners (2013-18, 2021), New York Yankees (2019-20), Red Sox (2023, 2024) and Dodgers (2024).

Can Red Sox Stop Yankees’ Streak

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BRONX – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The New York Yankees have not relied on a prolific offense of late, but rather are doing just enough to eke out wins and widen their lead in the American League East. After game-ending hits by Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Juan Soto, the Yankees seek a third straight win when they host the Boston Red Sox on Friday night.

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The Yankees (85-62) are 5-2 in their past seven games after dropping six of their previous nine against the Texas Rangers, St. Louis Cardinals and Washington Nationals. Four of those wins are by three runs or fewer and the Yankees have scored more than four runs only once in those contests.

Chisholm got the game-winning single in the 11th inning in Wednesday’s 4-3 win over the Kansas City Royals and Soto gave the Yankees a 2-1 win over the Red Sox with a single in the 10th on Thursday. The Yankees are two games ahead of the Baltimore Orioles in the AL East, equaling their largest lead since regaining the division lead Aug. 21.

“Guys are playing really well,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “We haven’t had a lot of offense in us there the last few nights but (we’re) doing enough. I thought we had some good at-bats tonight.

The Yankees earned their last two wins despite going 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position and stranding 17. Before Soto’s game-winner, New York left the bases loaded in the fourth and sixth.

New York is getting these wins despite Aaron Judge being stuck on 51 homers. Since hitting two homers against the Colorado Rockies on Aug. 25, Judge is homerless in a career-high 16 straight games and is hitting .207 (12-for-58).

Boston (74-73) has lost three straight to New York and is 4 1/2 games behind the Minnesota Twins for the third and final AL wild card.

Danny Jansen hit a tying homer in the fifth but the Red Sox were held to four hits and struck out 14 times. The Red Sox have stuck out 50 times in their past four games and at least 10 times in 14 games since Aug. 18.

Rafael Devers was 0-for-4 with three strikeouts Thursday and is homerless in 14 games. Since his last homer on Aug. 25, Devers is 9-for-54 (.167).

“I’m not going through my best moments right now but that’s part of baseball,” Devers said through an interpreter. “There are some times when you’re going to go through this stretch and that’s what’s happening to me right now. I’m not perfect and that’s just baseball.”

New York’s Clarke Schmidt (5-3, 2.34 ERA) will make his second start since returning from a lengthy injured list stint. Schmidt missed 86 games due to a strained right lat and pitched 4 2/3 innings of four-hit ball in Saturday’s 2-0 win over the host Chicago Cubs, marking his third scoreless start this season.

Schmidt is 0-1 with a 4.23 ERA in eight career appearances (four starts) against the Red Sox. He last faced them Sept. 14 of last season, allowing four runs (three earned) on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings of a no-decision in Boston.

Tanner Houck (8-10, 3.24), who was scratched from his last scheduled start due to a shoulder ailment on Sunday, will pitch for the first time since allowing four runs on five hits in an 8-3 loss on Sept. 4 to the host New York Mets.

Houck is 0-4 with a 4.78 ERA in nine starts since the All-Star break after scattering two hits in six innings against the Oakland Athletics on July 11 in his final start before the break.

Houck is 3-3 with a 2.38 ERA in 14 career appearances (nine starts) against the Yankees.

–Field Level Media

 

White Sox Five Run 9th Beats Boston

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – A five-run ninth inning propelled the visiting Chicago White Sox to a 7-2 win over the Boston Red Sox, salvaging the finale of a three-game series on Sunday.

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Chicago (33-111) broke open a 2-2 game with five runs on five hits against Boston reliever Zack Kelly (6-3), who recorded just one out while facing seven batters in the ninth.

Singles by Andrew Vaughn and Lenyn Sosa, who both went 2-for-4, put two aboard with one out before Dominic Fletcher knocked in the go-ahead run on a double inside the left-field line.

Jacob Amaya’s knock into right two batters later plated an insurance run. Zach DeLoach’s hard grounder to right scored two more and Luis Robert Jr., who had three hits, delivered a deep sacrifice fly.

Fraser Ellard (2-2) got the win in relief for the White Sox, who had lost 20 consecutive starts by Chris Flexen.

Flexen struck out six and allowed two runs on two solo home runs across six innings.

Connor Wong (3-for-4) and Wilyer Abreu (2-for-4) each doubled and homered to lead the Red Sox (72-71).

Richard Fitts, who allowed two unearned runs on six hits in a 5 2/3-inning start, and Luis Guerrero both made their MLB debuts on the mound for Boston.

The Red Sox went scoreless in the first after Jarren Duran was tagged out at home on a relay and Abreu was caught stealing third base to end the threat. Wong’s two-out homer an inning later did get Boston on the board.

Fitts faced just a batter over the minimum through the first three innings, having picked off a runner in the first and worked around Vaughn’s leadoff single to post another zero in the second.

The White Sox had something brewing with two hits to begin the fourth, but Fitts and shortstop Trevor Story combined to start a 1-6-3 double play to escape trouble.

DeLoach’s grounder eluded Boston first baseman Triston Casas for an error and rolled into the right-field corner to begin Chicago’s sixth inning against Fitts.

Robert’s single and Benintendi’s RBI grounder tied the score, then Lee’s chopper through the infield landed just past relief pitcher Greg Weissert’s reach to give the White Sox a 2-1 lead.

Boston tied it when Abreu crushed his 15th homer of the season to right-center field to make it 2-2 in the home sixth. The damage could have been greater if not for right fielder Fletcher’s dive to rob Rafael Devers of an extra-base hit towards the gap.

–Field Level Media

12 Runs, 17 Hits, 3 Errors vs 0 Hits

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CHICAGO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Chicago’s starting pitcher Shota Imanaga threw the first seven innings of a combined no-hitter as the hometown Cubs recorded a 12-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday.

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Nate Pearson and Porter Hodge each tossed a perfect inning to complete the 18th no-hitter in franchise history.

Imanaga (12-3) struck out seven and walked two while throwing 95 pitches for the Cubs (72-68).

Chicago’s last no-hitter was another combined effort, when Zach Davies, Ryan Tepera, Andrew Chafin and Craig Kimbrel beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-0 on June 24, 2021. The Pirates were held hitless for the first time since they were stymied by the Chicago White Sox’s Lucas Giolito on Aug. 25, 2020.

The Cubs authored the fourth no-hitter in the majors this season, the first since the San Francisco Giants’ Blake Snell no-hit the Cincinnati Reds on Aug. 2.

Hodge induced three groundouts to shortstop to end the game, the last from Oneil Cruz, to salvage the finale of a three-game series against the Pirates (65-74).

Dansby Swanson and Pete Crow-Armstrong each homered as part of a three-hit, three-RBI performance.

Pittsburgh’s Bryan Reynolds reached on the first of three errors by third baseman Isaac Paredes before being erased on an inning-ending double play in the first. Imanaga retired the side in order in the third, fourth, fifth and seventh innings.

The Cubs wasted little time getting the early jump on the Pirates, as Reynolds’ error in left field allowed Happ to score on Seiya Suzuki’s single in the first inning.

Crow-Armstrong’s RBI double and Happ’s two-run single extended Chicago’s lead to 4-0 in the second. In the third, Swanson deposited a 0-2 curveball from Domingo German (0-1) over the wall in left field. The homer was Swanson’s 14th of the season and second in three games.

Crow-Armstrong immediately followed by sending a 1-0 curveball from German over the wall in center field to stake Chicago to a 7-0 lead. It was Crow-Armstrong’s eighth homer of the year.

German permitted seven runs (six earned) on nine hits in three innings. He struck out three and walked one.

Swanson and Crow-Armstrong each drove in a run in the fifth inning before Bellinger drilled a first-pitch fastball from Kyle Nicolas over the center field wall in the sixth. The homer was Bellinger’s 15th of the season.

–Field Level Media

Tigers Homer Off Sox

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DETROIT – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Detroit’s Spencer Torkelson and Riley Greene each hit two-run home runs and the surging Detroit Tigers defeated the visiting Boston Red Sox, 4-1, on Sunday afternoon.

Brant Hurter (3-1) picked up the victory in long relief. Hurter gave up one run and six hits in five innings while recording five strikeouts. Jason Foley got the last three outs to collect his 20th save.

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The Tigers have won eight of their last 10 games, including two of three from the Red Sox in the weekend series.

Outfielder Jarren Duran drove in the lone run for Boston. Red Sox starter Cooper Criswell set down all 12 batters he faced, including five strikeouts.

Tigers starter Beau Brieske got four outs before manager A.J. Hinch went to his bullpen.

Triston Casas and Connor Wong drew one-out walks in the second. Brant Hurter replaced Brieske at that point. He induced a double play ball from Willy Abreu to end the inning.

Sox slugger Rafael Devers had a two-out single in the fourth but Casas popped out to end the rally.

Romy Gonzalez and Nick Sogard slapped two-out singles in the fifth after Hurter struck out the first two batters. Duran then smacked a 2-2 offering to left field for an RBI single, bringing in the first run of the contest.

Kerry Carpenter became the Tigers’ first baserunner when he walked against Rich Hill (0-1) in the fifth. One out later, Torkelson blasted a Hill curveball over the left field wall to give his team a 2-1 lead. Torkelson’s homer was his eighth of the year.

Parker Meadows led off the sixth against Zack Kelly with a single and Greene then blasted a cutter over the right field wall to make it 4-1. Greene’s long ball was his 20th this season.

Hurter came out after giving up a one-out infield single to Gonzalez in the seventh. Will Vest replaced Hurter and got the next two outs.

Foley struck out Casas on three pitches to open the ninth. Wong grounded out and Danny Jansen flied out to end the game.

–Field Level Media

 

Rich Hill to the Rescue

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Boston Red Sox are activating 44-year-old left-hander Rich Hill, multiple outlets reported. Hill signed a minor league deal on Aug. 15 and made one scoreless, two-inning appearance at Triple-A Worcester.

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Hill has played for 13 franchises since making his MLB debut in 2005, including three previous stints with his hometown Red Sox.

Once activated, Hill will surpass 41-year-old Justin Verlander as the oldest player in the majors.

Hill last played in the big leagues in 2023 with the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Diego Padres, going 8-14 with a 5.41 ERA in 32 games (27 starts).

He is 90-73 with a 4.01 ERA in 382 games (248 starts) with the Chicago Cubs (2005-08), Baltimore Orioles (2009), Red Sox (2010-12, 2015, 2022), Cleveland (2013), Los Angeles Angels (2014), New York Yankees (2014), Oakland Athletics (2016), Los Angeles Dodgers (2016-19), Minnesota Twins (2020), Tampa Bay Rays (2021), New York Mets (2021), Pirates (2023) and Padres (2023).

The Red Sox optioned right-hander Josh Winckowski to Worcester on Tuesday morning. Winckowski, 26, is 4-1 with a 4.37 ERA in 30 games (six starts) this season for Boston.

–Field Level Media

Two for Two

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – With their American League playoff hopes continuing to fade like the lazy days of Summer turning to the chilly evenings of September, the Boston Red Sox will look to bounce back from a series-opening, day-night sweep when they continue a rare five-game set against the visiting Toronto Blue Jays tonight.

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Much-needed wins were not in the cards for the Red Sox on Monday, as 4-1 and 7-3 losses dropped them to 5 1/2 games back of Minnesota, which currently holds the third and final wild-card spot.

“It’s not happening right now, to be honest with you,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “It’s been going on for a while here, right? Most of (the players) haven’t been in this situation before, right? Every pitcher matters, every at-bat matters. We just gotta make sure we slow it down. … We’re better than this. We know that.”

Every team goes through such rough patches over the course of the 162-game season, but Boston’s four straight losses and six in eight games have come at a less-than-ideal time and immediately following a 4-2 stretch.

Center fielder Jarren Duran was a major bright spot for the Boston offense, hitting home runs in both Monday games while doubling twice in the nightcap.

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“It’s nice to come up with those productive days, but we didn’t get the wins,” Duran said. “I think we’ve just got to get back on the horse … and believe in ourselves again.”

Four errors were too much for the Red Sox to overcome, and Toronto’s five-hit showing with runners in scoring position was key to the latter Monday victory, its season-high fifth straight.

“We were ready to go, and that’s a testament to the leaders of the team,” Blue Jays shortstop Ernie Clement said.

Boston’s Cooper Criswell (5-4, 4.41 ERA) is due to make his second straight start after throwing 4 2/3 innings of one-run ball last Wednesday at Houston.

Criswell has a 3.88 ERA in 14 starts and a 7.30 ERA in six relief outings this season. He has a 5.68 ERA in two career appearances (one start) against Toronto.

The Blue Jays had an outfield star of their own on Monday in Connecticut native George Springer, who also homered in both Monday games and has four over his last six games.

“It’s been a weird year for George,” Toronto manager John Schneider said. “He’s been so consistent in the clubhouse, and he’s done such an amazing job to keep these young kids under wraps. It goes without saying, we need George to be George, and he’s been that for a good while now.”

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had a two-hit game, giving him a .415 average since the All-Star break.

Yariel Rodriguez (1-5, 4.40) is slated to make Tuesday’s start for Toronto. The 27-year-old rookie has allowed nine runs in 9 1/3 innings across his last two starts, both no-decisions, against the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds.

Rodriguez has failed to finish five innings in three of his last five starts, including Wednesday against Cincinnati when he let a 5-0 lead slip with five runs allowed in 4 1/3 frames.

Rodriguez’s first and only career start against Boston was made official on Monday with the completion of a June 26 suspended game. He pitched a scoreless first inning before inclement weather halted play.

Boston’s Danny Jansen began that game as Rodriguez’s catcher, but was traded to the Red Sox last month. When play resumed Monday, Jansen became the first player in MLB history to appear for both teams in the same game.

–Field Level Media