Arauz helps Sox to doubleheader split

Singles home go-ahead run in eighth inning of nightcap vs. Blue Jays

Jonathan Arauz singled home the tiebreaking run in the eighth inning and the Boston Red Sox beat Toronto 2-1 Saturday night to split a doubleheader with the Blue Jays.

Matt Barnes (6-3) worked one inning for the win and Adam Ottavino finished for his eighth save in 12 opportunities as the Red Sox won for the second time in their past 10 games.

Facing right-hander Adam Cimber (2-3), Arauz grounded a leadoff single past shortstop Bo Bichette to score Franchy Cordero, who started the inning on second base.

Toronto won the opener 1-0 when Marcus Semien led off the bottom of the seventh by connecting on the first pitch from Barnes (5-3). It was Semien’s 26th home run of the season and the first game-ending homer of his career.

The Blue Jays are 8-2 since returning to Toronto July 30.

Before the opener, Boston put slugger J.D. Martinez on the COVID -19-related injured list. The Red Sox have scored five runs or fewer in 15 consecutive games.

Making his second start for Toronto, right-hander Jose

Berrios allowed one run and five hits in the second game of the doubleheader. He walked none and struck out six.

Berrios had pitched 11 consecutive scoreless innings to begin his Jays career but gave up a one-out homer to Alex Verdugo in the sixth to tie the score at 1. The homer was Verdugo’s 11th.

A walk and a single gave Boston men at first and second with nobody out against right-hander Trevor Richards in the seventh, but the threat fizzled when both runners were thrown out.

Toronto’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a deep drive to center in the bottom of the seventh but Kiké Hernandez made a leaping catch at the wall.

Right-hander Tanner Houck started for Boston, but left with runners at first and second and two outs in the fourth. Lefthander Josh Taylor came on in relief and gave up an RBI single to Breyvic Valera.

Toronto failed to hit a home run in the night game, snapping a streak of 20 straight games with at least one homer.

Semien’s game-winning drive in the opener was the 166th of the season for the Blue Jays, who began the day tied with San Francisco for the MLB lead.

Boston bench coach Will Venable tested positive for COVID -19, the team said during the first game. With first base coach Tom Goodwin in quarantine after close exposure to Venable, quality control coach Ramon Vazquez coached first base.