TORONTO — Instant reactions from the Red Sox’ crushing, extra-innings 7-6 loss to the Blue Jays here at Rogers Centre on Wednesday as Boston (17-15) blows a 6-0 lead and loses for the first time since Saturday:
1) The Red Sox were up 6-0 as the Blue Jays came to bat in the sixth and 6-3 in the seventh. Garrett Whitlock replaced Lucas Giolito to start the seventh. He had a streak of six straight scoreless outings, allowing six hits and two walks while striking out 11 over 7 ⅔ innings. But he couldn’t hold a three-run lead. He gave up three hits, including a three-run home run to Anthony Santander that tied the game.
2) Blue Jays closer Jeff Hoffman took care of business in the top of the 10th inning. Boston’s automatic runner didn’t leave second base. Hoffman struck out Alex Bregman swinging to begin the inning and Wilyer Abreu swinging to end the inning. He also got Trevor Story to ground out.
3) Toronto won it in the 10th. The automatic runner, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., advanced to third on a sac fly when Ceddanne Rafaela’s throw hit him while diving into the base. Alex Cora chose to walk back-to-back hitters to load the bases, then Alejandro Kirk’s RBI walk-off single sent home Guerrero.
It was the first hit against Slaten since April 3 (eight outings).
4) Lucas Giolito pitched well in his Red Sox debut 17 months after signing a two-year, $38.5 million contract. The 30-year-old righty allowed three runs, five hits and two walks while striking out seven in 6 innings. All three runs came with two outs in the sixth inning. He gave up back-to-back homers — a two-run blast to Daulton Varsho and a solo shot to Alejandro Kirk. He threw 61 of his 90 pitches (67.8%) for strikes.
Giolito spent last year on the 60-day IL after an internal brace procedure to repair his damaged right elbow. He began this season on the IL with a left hamstring strain.
5) Giolito used his fastest pitch of the game while escaping a jam in the third inning. Ernie Clement and Bo Bichette singled to begin the inning. But Giolito pumped in a 96 mph fastball to strike out Guerrero swinging. After he got Santander to fly out, Giolito struck out George Springer looking on a changeup.
The 96 mph pitch to strike out Guerrero swinging was the hardest pitch he threw in the game. His second fastest pitch was 94.8 mph.
6) Giolito had horrible statistics on his rehab assignment, giving up 10 runs, 18 hits and 13 walks while striking out 17 over 17 ⅓ innings between three starts for Triple-A Worcester and two starts with Double-A Portland. He wasn’t concerned about results though. He said Tuesday he was more focused on things like mechanics. He certainly turned on a different switch.
7) Manager Alex Cora said he expects Carlos Narváez to play a lot when Connor Wong returns from the IL. Narváez, who has been one of the league’s top defensive catchers, crushed a 410-foot two-run homer that left his bat at 107.8 mph. It put Boston ahead 6-0 in the sixth inning.
8) Alex Bregman was one of the major league’s best hitters during the first month of the season. He capped off April with a 398-foot home run in the first inning. It was his seventh home run.
9) Boston’s top three hitters, Jarren Duran, Rafael Devers and Bregman, combined for five hits. The rest of the lineup had just two.
10) The series finale will be at 7:07 p.m. Thursday. Righty Tanner Houck (0-2, 7.58 ERA) will start for Boston opposite right-hander José Berríos (1-1, 4.24) in the rubber game.
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