Red Sox salvage split with Blue Jays in doubleheader

TORONTO — 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 Blue Jays career but gave up a oneout homer to Alex Verdugo in the sixth to tie the score at 1-all. 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.

First, Marwin Gonzalez got caught in a rundown between second and third after Franchy Cordero whiffed on a sacrifice bunt attempt. Cordero later struck out as part of a double play, with Christian Vazquez thrown out attempting to steal third.

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