Sep 20, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Richard Fitts (80) prepares to pitch against the Minnesota Twins during the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images Boston Red Sox right-hander Richard Fitts has yet to allow an earned run in his three-game major league career, something the host Toronto Blue Jays will aim to change on Wednesday night.
Fitts (0-0, 0.00 ERA) could help the Red Sox (80-78) keep their faint playoff hopes alive with another solid performance. It would require an improvement in the outcomes of his first games, all of which ended up as losses by Boston.
The Blue Jays (73-85) will try to avoid being swept in the three-game series and end a five-game losing streak as they continue a season-ending six-game homestand.
The Red Sox have won four in a row after taking the second game of the series 6-5 in 10 innings on Tuesday night. They overcame a 3-0 deficit and tied the game with two runs in the seventh and one in the eighth. Boston scored three in the 10th and survived Toronto’s two-run rally in the bottom of the inning.
“The boys did an amazing job fighting all the way to the end,” Boston manager Alex Cora said. “We used everybody, and it was one of the most gratifying wins since I’ve been here.”
“Of course Oct. 28, 2018 (the World Series championship) is the biggest one, but grinding and fighting in the dugout, the guys that pitched, the guys that ended up playing that game, yeah. I’m telling you, there was a lot of anxiety, and we were very nervous but we pulled it out.”
Fitts allowed two unearned runs in his first major league start against the Chicago White Sox on Sept. 8, which Boston lost 7-2. He pitched 5 2/3 innings in that start and five frames in each of his next two starts. He has allowed 13 hits and struck out seven and walked five in his starts.
His mound opponent is scheduled to be Toronto right-hander Kevin Gausman (13-11, 3.91 ERA), who will face Boston for the third time this season. He is 1-1 with a 5.40 ERA against the Red Sox in 2024 and 8-10 with a 4.52 ERA in 30 career outings (25 starts) against them.
Boston’s Trevor Story drove in the go-ahead run in the 10th on Tuesday with his second double of the game. Vaughn Grissom’s third hit of the game, a single, scored the third run of the 10th.
Former Blue Jay Danny Jansen, who was traded to the Red Sox in July, received a warm ovation before his first plate appearance on Tuesday. He went 2-for-4.
The Blue Jays continued to play sloppy baseball as they stagger to the finish line. There were some highlights Tuesday, however.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a two-run double for Toronto in going 1-for-4, leaving him five hits short of 200 for the season. He has 75 career RBIs against Boston, his most against any team.
Toronto’s Alejandro Kirk was 1-for-4 to extend his hitting streak to 16 games, batting .284 (19-for-67).
And right-hander Bowden Francis pitched five scoreless innings in his final start of the season. Over his past eight starts, he is 4-2 with a 1.33 ERA.
“Just another outstanding effort,” Toronto manager John Schneider said. “You can’t really say enough about how he finished up the season.”
Toronto recalled left-hander Easton Lucas from Triple-A Buffalo, and he allowed two runs in 1 2/3 innings on Tuesday. Right-hander Zach Pop was optioned to the Blue Jays’ spring training complex because Buffalo’s season is over.
–Field Level Media
