From tub, Crawford sees start salvaged
TORONTO — Kutter Crawford was sitting up to his neck in freezing cold water when he picked up a victory on Saturday.
The Red Sox righthander pitched a strong 5„ innings against the Blue Jays, allowing two runs on three hits and striking out five with two walks.
The Blue Jays, down by four runs when Crawford left the game, rallied against the Red Sox bullpen and nearly scored the tying run before Bo Bichette was thrown out at the plate to end the game.
The sellout crowd fell silent as the Red Sox clubhouse erupted in cheers after a 7-6 victory.
Crawford was taking a cold plunge when the Jays put two runners on in the ninth.
“I was the only one in there and watching it unfold,” Crawford said. “Kind of a roller coaster of emotions there.”
Rafael Devers and Justin Turner homered to give the Sox a 6-2 lead. Crawford allowed a single and a walk in the bottom of the sixth before coming out, having thrown 74 pitches.
“The offense had my back today,” Crawford said.
Crawford (3-4) dropped his ERA to 3.92. He is 3-2 with a 4.39 ERA in six starts since rejoining the rotation on June 3.
“A good one,” manager Alex Cora said. “Overall, it was what we needed.”
Whitlock next
Garrett Whitlock starts the series finale Sunday afternoon against Kevin Gausman.
Whitlock has allowed 10 earned runs on 19 hits over
11„ innings his last two starts. Part of the problem, counterintuitively, is that he is throwing too many strikes.
“The approach has changed by the opposition,” Cora said.
“Obviously, everybody knows he’s a strike thrower. He’s one of the best, if not the best, in the big leagues at throwing firstpitch strikes.
“Sometimes throwing too many strikes works against you. We love the fact that he does. But you can throw strikes in different ways.”
That would likely be using offspeed pitches early in the count instead of trying to get ahead with a fastball. Whitlock is 2-1 with an 0.61 ERA over nine career appearances (one start) against Toronto.
Gausman started at Fenway Park on May 4 and allowed eight runs on 10 hits over 3‚ innings.
Daddy duties
James Paxton reported to Rogers Centre in the morning, got his usual work done, then flew back to Boston. His wife,
Katie, is expecting their second child Tuesday.
Paxton will start paternity leave that day. His next start will come during the Oakland series, which starts Friday.
Paxton is 3-0 with a 1.75 ERA in his last six starts. Walter’s role
Lefthander Brandon Walter,
who gave the Sox 6„ solid innings in relief at Minnesota on June 22, pitched two innings in relief Friday night for Triple A Worcester, throwing 31 pitches.
Cora said Walter “is in play” to rejoin the major league team this week in a long relief role. Walter was optioned on June 23, making him eligible to return on Saturday.
Working on the farm
Lefthanded reliever Joely Rodriguez worked a scoreless inning for Double A Portland Friday and is likely to be activated off the injured list Tuesday. “There’s a good chance,” Cora said. “Let’s see how he rebounds.” Rodriguez has appeared in only five major league games this season because of injuries . . . Infielder Pablo Reyes (abdominal strain) will start a rehab assignment Monday, joining Portland . . . Shortstop Yu Chang (left hand) is 0 for 7 in two games for Portland since beginning another rehab assignment. He started at shortstop for the Sea Dogs Saturday night after serving as DH on Friday. He will likely need at least a few more games.
He owns them
Masataka Yoshida was 2 for 3 with an RBI before he was hit by a pitch in his lower right leg in the seventh inning and came out of the game. Yoshida is 14 of 24 (.583) with two doubles, three home runs, and 10 RBIs in six games against Toronto this season and has not struck out in 25 plate appearances. He was limping a bit after the game and is questionable for Sunday. Xrays were negative . . . The Blue Jays are 7-19 against American League East teams and 38-20 outside the division. The Red Sox, conversely, are 14-11 in the division and 28-31 otherwise . . . Backup catcher Caleb Hamilton was 0 for 3 with three strikeouts and a walk in his second start. Hamilton is 1 for 23 with 19 strikeouts and five walks in 29 career plate appearances.