Alejandro Kirk singled home the winning run in the 10th inning and the Toronto Blue Jays rallied from a 6-0 deficit to defeat the visiting Boston Red Sox 7-6 on Wednesday night.
Anthony Santander had tied the game with a three-run home run in the seventh. Daulton Varsho added a two-run blast and Kirk hit a solo shot to help Toronto square the three-game series up at 1-1.
With a runner at third and one out in the bottom of the 10th, Justin Slaten (0-1) walked George Springer and Varsho intentionally to load the bases before Kirk lined a single to left.
Toronto’s Jeff Hoffman (3-0) pitched clean ninth and 10th innings to earn the win.
Carlos Narvaez hit a two-run home run and Alex Bregman added a solo shot to extend his hit streak to 10 games for the Red Sox.
Lucas Giolito was making his first major league appearance since 2023 after undergoing elbow surgery last year and suffering a hamstring injury earlier this year. He allowed three runs, five hits and two walks while striking out seven over six innings.
Yariel Rodriguez opened for Toronto and started the game by walking Jarren Duran. Duran was running on the pitch when Rafael Devers doubled into the right-field corner, but he hesitated at second base and was thrown out at home. Devers advanced on a wild pitch that went behind Bregman and he scored on a balk. Bregman then deposited a slider into the left-field seats for an early 2-0 lead.
Left-hander Eric Lauer, promoted from Triple-A Buffalo on Wednesday, replaced Rodriguez for the second. He allowed a one-out walk to Ceddanne Rafaela, who stole second and scored when Duran scooped a low and away fastball to left for a two-out single. Duran stole second, advanced to third on catcher Kirk’s throwing error and scored when Devers doubled off the center-field wall.
Boston added two more runs against Chad Green in the sixth on a walk by Triston Casas and a homer from Narvaez.
Giolito walked Springer with two outs in the bottom of the sixth before allowing Varsho’s long ball to right center and Kirk’s homer to left center, both on changeups.
Garrett Whitlock coughed up Santander’s two-out homer to right on a limp 2-0 changeup in the seventh after Ernie Clement and Vadimir Guerrero Jr. singled.
Toronto designated right-hander Casey Lawrence for assignment.
