Verdugo's home run in the 9th gives the Red Sox a 5-4 win and a sweep of the Blue Jays
TORONTO (AP) - Alex Verdugo hit a tiebreaking home run in the ninth inning and the Boston Red Sox beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4 on Sunday to complete a three-game sweep.
Verdugo's sixth home run came on the first pitch thrown by Blue Jays closer Jordan Romano (3-4). Verdugo stood at home plate to admire his 415-foot drive into the stands behind the visitor's bullpen in right field.
Jarren Duran went 5 for 5 with four doubles and Rafael Devers reached base five times and drove in two for the Red Sox.
Boston has won three straight following a season-long five-game losing streak. Boston is 7-0 against Toronto this season after losing 16 of 19 meetings in 2022.
Red Sox right-hander Chris Martin (2-1) worked one inning for the win and left-hander Joe Jacques finished for his first career save.
Blue Jays designated hitter Brandon Belt hit two solo home runs and Bo Bichette added a two-run single. Toronto led 4-2 through six innings but couldn't make it stand up.
Boston right-hander Garrett Whitlock left after one inning because of tightness in his right elbow. He missed 27 games earlier this season because of right elbow ulnar neuritis. Whitlock also missed 10 games at the start of the season while recovering from right hip surgery. He's 4-3 with a 5.23 ERA in 10 starts.
Left-hander Brennan Bernardino took over in the second and pitched 1 1/3 innings.
Belt tied the score at 1-1 when he homered off Whitlock in the first, then made it 4-2 with a drive off Nick Pivetta in the sixth. It was Belt's first multihomer game of the season and the ninth of his career.
Devers opened the scoring with a base hit off Blue Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman in the first and made it 2-1 with another two-out RBI single in the third. Bichette put Toronto in front with a two-run single off Kaleb Ort in the bottom half.
Bichette was thrown out trying to stretch his hit into a double as right fielder Verdugo picked up his team-leading seventh assist. Verdugo threw Bichette out at home plate to end Saturday's 7-6 Boston win.
Boston tied it with two runs against Erik Swanson in the seventh. Justin Turner hit an RBI single and was running from first base when Verdugo hit a ground ball to the right side. Turner tried for third and scored when Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s wild throw ended up in foul territory.
Gausman allowed two runs and five hits in five innings. He walked one and struck out seven. Gausman leads the AL with 146 strikeouts.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Red Sox: Masataka Yoshida was held out of the lineup after being hit on the right leg by a pitch in the seventh inning Saturday. Manager Alex Cora said Yoshida was still sore after being struck in an unprotected area by a Nate Pearson fastball measured at 101.8 miles per hour.
ME NEXT!
Guerrero jokingly waited in line behind Gausman to have third base umpire Alex Tosi check his hands and cap as Toronto came off the field after the top of the second.
UP NEXT
Red Sox: Boston had not named a starter for Tuesday afternoon's July 4th game against Texas, the opener of a three-game series at Fenway Park.
Blue Jays: RHP Chris Bassitt starts Tuesday as Toronto visits Chicago for a three-game series against the White Sox. RHP Lucas Giolito (6-5, 3.53) starts for Chicago.
