Field Level Media
Aug 4, 2023
Davis Schneider hit a solo home run in his first major league at-bat to help the visiting Toronto Blue Jays defeat the Boston Red Sox 7-3 on Friday night.
Schneider, 24, was promoted from Triple-A Buffalo earlier in the day ahead of the opener of a three-game series. He also had an infield single in the victory.
Schneider's home run made it 3-0 in the second inning. It was one of five solo shots the Blue Jays hit in the game, three of which came against Boston starting pitcher James Paxton.
Whit Merrifield and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. also went deep against Paxton. Daulton Varsho hit a homer against reliever Mauricio Llovera, and Matt Chapman homered against Richard Bleier.
Toronto earned its first victory over Boston in eight meetings this season and moved three games ahead of the Red Sox in the race for the final American League wild-card spot.
A two-run home run by Jarren Duran and a solo home run from Yu Chang accounted for Boston's scoring. Duran collected three of the Red Sox's six hits.
Both Boston home runs came against Toronto starter Alek Manoah, who pitched 6 2/3 innings. Manoah (3-8) allowed three runs on six hits, struck out five and walked two. Tim Mayza pitched one scoreless inning, and Jordan Hicks recorded the final four outs to earn his ninth save.
Paxton (6-3) allowed four runs on nine hits in five innings. He struck out four and walked two.
It was 3-0 until Duran hit a two-run home run in the third. Toronto made it 4-2 in the fourth, when Varsho singled and scored on George Springer's two-out double.
Varsho's home run stretched the lead to 5-2 in the sixth before Guerrero's double scored Springer later in the inning.
Yu's home run sliced Toronto's lead to 6-3 in the seventh, and Chapman's homer in the ninth capped the scoring.
The Blue Jays had 14 hits in the win, just their second in six games. The Red Sox have lost five of their past six.
--Field Level Media