Fister helps Red Sox silence Jays
BOSTON — Doug Fister has quickly gone from a pitcher looking for a big league job right into being a key starter for a team chasing a division title.
Fister gave up one run over seven innings, Jackie Bradley Jr. hit a two-run homer and drove in three runs and the Boston Red Sox beat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-1 on Wednesday night, a day after the teams played a 19-inning marathon.
The Red Sox claimed the 33-year-old Fister in June after he opted out of a Triple-A contract and was released by the Los Angeles Angels. In the last couple of weeks, he’s clearly been Boston’s best starter.
“To say that when we got him from the Angels that he would be running a streak of starts consecutively like he is, no — he’s surpassed the initial expectation,” Red Sox manager John Farrell said. “He’s doing a great job.”
It was the second straight win for the AL East-leading Red Sox, who moved four games ahead of the second-place Yankees. New York’s game at Baltimore was rained out.
Playing just 18 hours after completing a 3-2 victory that lasted six hours and ended on Hanley Ramirez’s bloop single, the Red Sox took charge with a four-run fourth that was capped by Bradley’s homer.
Fister (5-7) allowed four hits, struck out nine and walked three, improving to 3-1 in his last four starts with a 1.50 ERA.
“It’s definitely a fun time of year, being anxious for what might come,” he said.
Joe Biagini (3-10) was tagged for five runs in 3 1⁄ 3 innings.
With rain starting to fall when the Red Sox came to the plate in the fourth, Xander Bogaerts halted a 3-for-33 stretch by lining an opposite field RBI triple and scored on Rafael Devers’ single. Bradley then belted his homer into Boston’s bullpen, making it 5-1.
Mets 6, Phillies 3
NEW YORK — Robert Gsellman pitched well in a winning return from the minors and Travis d’Arnaud homered to help the New York Mets beat the Philadelphia Phillies 6-3 in a game shortened to six innings because of rain.
Asdrubal Cabrera went 3-for-3 with an RBI single and scored twice.
Cabrera hit an RBI single in the first and d’Arnaud went the other way to right-centre for a two-run homer off rookie Nick Pivetta (5-10). Pivetta, from Victoria, gave up 10 hits in five innings. He struck out five and walked none.