Guerrero, Gimenez Carry Toronto Past Boston in 3-0 Shutout
Toronto shut out Boston 3-0 on Wednesday, getting all three runs on the backs of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Andres Gimenez. The Blue Jays did it on a day they lost their scheduled starter to the injured list — which makes the win look even more impressive.
The story of the night was Toronto's offense doing exactly enough, and its pitching staff doing the rest. Guerrero Jr. went 2-for-4 with 2 RBI, and Gimenez matched him hit-for-hit — also 2-for-4 — adding 1 RBI and scoring twice. Those two accounted for all three Toronto runs, and Boston never found an answer. Wilyer Abreu was the lone bright spot for the Red Sox, going 2-for-5, but it was a quiet kind of productive — no runs, no damage done.
The pitching picture was complicated, and that's putting it charitably. Toronto turned to Simeon Woods Richardson after Max Scherzer was placed on the 10-day injured list earlier Wednesday with back spasms. Woods Richardson gave the Blue Jays 3.0 innings, allowing 3 hits and 3 walks while striking out just 1 — not exactly a confidence-builder. But he kept Boston off the board, and that's what matters in a shutout. Louis Varland then delivered a gem out of the bullpen: 1.0 inning, 0 hits, 0 runs, 3 strikeouts. On the Boston side, Jake Bennett was arguably the harder-luck story — 5.1 innings, 3 hits, 5 strikeouts, and just 2 earned runs allowed. That's a quality outing that deserved better. Tyron Guerrero followed with 1.2 innings of scoreless relief, striking out 3, but the damage was already done.
What this looks like is a Toronto team that found a way to win ugly. The rotation is clearly in flux with Scherzer sidelined, and Woods Richardson's three walks in three innings isn't a formula anyone wants to lean on long-term. But Guerrero Jr. and Gimenez bailed the staff out, and the bullpen — particularly Varland — held the line when it mattered. For Boston, the frustrating part appears to be the offense: Bennett gave them a chance, the relief corps kept it close, and the lineup still couldn't push a single run across against a patchwork Toronto pitching staff. That's a problem worth watching as the trade deadline approaches.