BOSTON (AP) — Marcus Semien hit a two-run homer — one of Toronto's three longballs in the fifth inning — to extend his club-record road hitting streak to 25 games, and the Blue Jays rebounded from a tough loss to beat the Boston Red Sox 7-2 on Saturday.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, Cavan Biggio and Reese McGuire also went deep for the Blue Jays, who had dropped four of their last five. They blew a late 5-1 lead and lost 6-5 in Friday’s series opener.
“(Friday) night was a tough loss,” Biggio said. “Definitely a game that we feel like we should have definitely won, a bounce-back win was huge.”
Rafael Devers had an RBI triple for the Red Sox, who had won seven of nine.
Guerrero got Toronto’s offense going early with his major league-leading 20th homer, a two-run shot estimated at 439 feet against Nick Pivetta that left Fenway Park over the Green Monster in the first inning.
“I'm just glad I get to watch it and witness it,” winning pitcher Steven Matz said of Guerrero. “From spring training on, he's just what doing what he's doing. It's been an absolute blast to be on this side with him.”
Bichette sent one even further, belting an estimated 468-foot drive out of Fenway over the Monster, going back to back after Semien’s shot.
Biggio opened the fifth with a drive into the first row of Monster seats.
“That's what they do,” Boston manager Alex Cora said. “They hit the ball out of the ballpark. They're an aggressive ballclub.”
Matz (7-3) held the Red Sox to four hits and a run over 5 2/3 innings, striking out eight with two walks.
“I think my fastball-curveball combo and kind of keeping them off balance with the changeup was how I attacked them today,” he said. “It was good to have that curveball going. It felt good.”
Pivetta (6-2) gave up a season-high six runs and allowed four — a career worst — of the Blue Jays’ homers.
“It just comes down to every home run I gave up, I mislocated the pitch or hung the pitch,” Pivetta said. "It's going to happen. Sometimes you get lucky and the hitter misses it. Today, they hit every single one."
PAY ATTENTION
Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo said Guerrero’s outstanding start this season isn’t getting noticed because how poorly the team’s bullpen has been.
Guerrero went 1 for 2, raising his batting average to .338 with 52 RBIs.
“Nobody’s talking about it because our bullpen’s struggling,” Montoyo said.
NICE ARM
Red Sox CF Kiké Hernández cut down Joe Panik at the plate, trying to score on a medium-deep fly for an inning-ending double play.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Blue Jays: OF George Springer, who has played just four games this season as he recovers from a quad injury suffered rehabbing an oblique strain, could start a rehab assignment soon. Montoyo said he ran the bases in Fenway on Saturday and was going to take batting practice. Springer signed a $150-million, six-year deal as a free agent during the offseason.
Red Sox: SS Xander Bogaerts, scratched from Friday’s game because of a sore left knee, didn’t play Saturday. “I’m not in a rush with this one because of how important he is,” Cora said. “If we have to stay away from him (Sunday), we will.” ... Hernández was hit on the extended flap of his helmet by a pitch from Anthony Castro in the seventh, but stayed in the game.
UP NEXT
Toronto LHP Robbie Ray (3-2, 3.36 ERA) is set to start Sunday against Boston lefty Martín Pérez (4-3, 3.88). Pérez is coming off his worst start of the season Tuesday, when he gave up six runs in only two innings.
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