Red Sox Beat Blue Jays In Final Game Before All-Star Break
Brock Holt hit a pair of run-scoring singles and Xander Bogaerts swatted his second home run in as many days as the Red Sox beat the Blue Jays 5-2 on Sunday to head into the All-Star break with an MLB-best 68-30 record.
All-Stars Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez went hitless, but the bottom half of the lineup provided just enough offense for the Red Sox.
The trio of Holt, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Sandy Leon combined to go 5-for-9 with three RBIs.
Holt drove in Steve Pearce with a line drive single to center field in the bottom of the first. The Red Sox infielder added a second RBI single to make it 5-2 Boston in the sixth.
Xander Bogaerts led off the scoring with a homer over the wall in left in the bottom of the first, his 16th round-tripper of the season.
It was his second home run in as many at-bats, as the Red Sox shortstop blasted a walk-off grand slam in the 10th inning to give Boston a 6-2 triumph over the Blue Jays on Saturday.
Red Sox starting pitcher Brian Johnson, who was activated from the disabled list earlier on Sunday, pitched 4.2 innings, allowing two runs on two hits and four walks while striking out five.
Johnson had been sidelined for a week and a half with inflammation in his hip.
It was a bullpen day for the Red Sox, and Boston's relievers got the job done. Brandon Workman, Tyler Thornburg, Ryan Brasier and Heath Hembree combined to allow no runs on six hits.
Craig Kimbrel retired the side in order in the ninth, including a pair of strikeouts, for his 30th save of the year.
The Red Sox enter the All-Star break with a season-high 4.5 game lead over the Yankees in the American League East.
Boston will visit the Tigers on Friday in its first game following the break.