Wilyer Abreu had two hits with an RBI double and the visiting Boston Red Sox used a 10-pitch walk to beat the Toronto Blue Jays 4-1 on Monday night.
Boston right-hander Tanner Houck (9-10) threw five scoreless innings, allowing one hit and one walk in the three-game series opener.
The Red Sox (79-78) have won three in a row and the Blue Jays (73-84) have lost four in a row. Boston leads the season series 7-4.
Toronto right-hander Chris Bassitt (10-14) gave up three runs (two earned) on four hits and seven walks while striking out two in 4 1/3 innings.
Boston scored an unearned run in the second inning. Abreu led off with a walk and advanced to second when Connor Wong reached first on an error by first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr.. He took third on Nick Sogard’s grounder to second and scored on Vaughn Grissom’s fly to left.
The Red Sox added a run in the third. Triston Casas and Tyler O’Neill each walked with two outs and Abreu stroked an RBI double to right.
It took a 3-0 lead in the fourth. Sogard doubled, took third on a balk and scored on Ceddanne Rafaela’s pass to Bassitt.
Zach Pop replaced Bassitt in the fifth after Casas left and took Abreu’s third. Wong walked before the inning ended on Sogard’s double-play groundout.
The Blue Jays got their first run when Addison Barger walked with two outs in the fifth. Ernie Clement followed with one out before Jonathan Clase struck out.
Greg Weissert replaced Houck and circled two singles in the sixth with the help of a double play.
Boston scored one in the eighth off Dillon Tate, as Wong, who walked and stole second, came around to score on Rafaela’s fielder’s choice.
Chris Martin, Boston’s fifth hitter of the day, allowed a leadoff single to Nathan Lukes in the ninth, and Lukes scored on a single to Spencer Horwitz.
Boston placed right-hander Kenley Jansen (shoulder) on the injured list Monday and recalled right-hander Chase Shugart from Triple-A Worcester.
–Field Level Media