All Betts off for Happ
A fourth-inning grand slam by Mookie Betts capped a messy frame by the Blue Jays and knocked out starter J.A. Happ in a 6-4 loss to the Red Sox at Fenway Park.
Happ, coming off a pair of disappointing outings in which he gave up a total of 13 runs in 8 1⁄3 innings, looked more like himself through his first three innings of work in Boston, allowing just one hit while striking out five. He hit former teammate Steve Pearce in the left shin with a pitch in the first inning after allowing a single to J.D. Martinez, but struck out Xander Bogaerts to get out of the jam. Pearce would leave the game soon after with a bruised shin.
He got a little early run support, too. After a double by Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Teoscar Hernandez launched a 434- foot bomb to centre field that gave the visitors a 2-0 lead in the first. It was his 14th homer of the year, but first since June 23.
It all came undone, however, in the fourth inning.
After Happ struck out Blake Swihart — in for Pearce — Bogaerts hit a single to centre be- fore Brock Holt reached first on a force attempt. He was initially called out, but the ruling was overturned after video review showed second baseman Dev- on Travis’ foot came off the bag as he rushed a double play attempt. Eduardo Nunez then loaded the bases with an infield single that landed between Happ and catcher Russell Martin, both hesitating. Bogaerts scored on a Sandy Leon groundout, on which Gurriel threw out Holt at third, but a wild pitch by Happ advanced the runners to second and third and Jackie Bradley Jr. walked to load the bases for Betts. By that point, Happ had thrown 85 pitches — 33 in the fourth inning alone — and he battled Betts in an epic 13-pitch at-bat, the last one winding up over the Green Monster in left. Betts, who tacked on an RBI single off John Axford in the seventh, entered the night hitting .386 with two outs.
All of the five runs Happ allowed in 32⁄ innings were un3 earned thanks to the error by Travis, who atoned at the plate with the third four-hit game of his career.
Biagini closed out the fourth by striking out Andrew Benintendi and the bullpen — Seunghwan Oh took over from Axford in the eighth — allowed just three Boston hits the rest of the way. Kendrys Morales hit a solo homer for the Jays in the seventh, while Justin Smoak connected for an RBI double in the eighth but that was as close as they would get.
It was the Red Sox’s 10th straight win. They’re 37 games over .500 for the first time since 1946. The four-game series resumes Friday night with rookie Ryan Borucki starting for the Jays against Rick Porcello.