Toronto Blue Jays vs Boston Red Sox Box Score on Sep 25, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Sep 25, 2017

BOSTON -- Sixteen-game winner Drew Pomeranz lasted just two-plus innings, and the Boston Red Sox failed to move a step closer to clinching the American League East title, dropping a 6-4 decision to the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday night in the opener of a three-game series.

The loss was extra painful for Boston as both Eduardo Nunez (knee) and Mookie Betts (wrist) left the game with injuries.

The defeat left the Red Sox's magic number to clinch their second straight East title at three after the New York Yankees won earlier in the day. Boston is four games in front with six to play, and the earliest the Red Sox can clinch is Wednesday night.

Pomeranz, who has been a rock in Boston's charge to the top, allowed a homer to Josh Donaldson (No. 31, an AL-leading 22 since the All-Star break) in the first inning. Then he gave two-out, two-run doubles to Teoscar Hernandez and Donaldson in the second.

Pomeranz (16-6) gave up a leadoff single to start the third inning and was gone after just 47 pitches. It was his second loss since June 11 and his first against the Blue Jays after defeating them three times this season.

Brett Anderson (4-4) worked the first five innings for the win. He gave up three runs on six hits.

Betts drove in two runs for the Red Sox, his 100th and 101st RBIs of the season. However, he was in pain at first base after a fifth-inning RBI single and was lifted for a pinch hitter in the eighth.

Andrew Benintendi was the replacement, and he hit his 20th homer of the year, off Dominic Leone, to cut the deficit to 5-4. But Ryan Goins homered off Addison Reed in the ninth as the Jays won for only the fifth time in 17 games against the Red Sox this season.

Struggling Roberto Osuna nailed it down with his 38th save, but he is just 12 of 18 in save opportunities and 0-4 in his past 21 games.

Donaldson was 3-for-3 with a walk after a 3-for-22 homestand.

Toronto's Jose Bautista was ejected by plate umpire Chad Fairchild in the eighth inning after being called out on strikes for his second straight at-bat.

Nunez was playing in his first game after missing 13 with the original knee injury. He left the game after two at-bats when he aggravated the ailment.

After Donaldson homered in the top of the first, the Red Sox took the lead in the bottom half when Xander Bogaerts singled, Nunez doubled and both scored on RBI groundouts. The first RBI was by Betts, who joined Ted Williams as the only players in franchise history with two 100-RBI seasons before age 25.

A double play left Pomeranz with two outs and nobody on in the second, but a walk and two infield hits loaded the bases before Hernandez and Donaldson each hit two-run doubles.

Sam Travis batted for Nunez in the fifth inning and sent Bogaerts to third with a hit off the wall -- only to be nailed by Hernandez trying for a double. Betts then dropped a single down the right field line to make it 5-3.

NOTES: Toronto 3B Josh Donaldson hit his 14th first-inning home run of the season, tying him with Miami Marlins RF Giancarlo Stanton for the major league lead and snapping his personal high of 13 set last season. ... Boston 2B Dustin Pedroia rested a sore knee and is expected to play Tuesday. ... Red Sox LHP Chris Sale, who hasn't allowed a run in three starts (22 innings, 11 hits) against Toronto this season, pitches against LHP J.A. Happ in the second game of the series Tuesday night. ... Several photographers were close to the Red Sox dugout during the national anthem, but nothing out of the ordinary took place.