TORONTO – The Toronto Blue Jays desperately needed someone to turn the release valve.
On the heels of a disastrous performance in a four-game sweep at the hands of the Texas Rangers that severely impacted their footing in the wild-card race, the build-up of pressure on the club was palpable.
Dispiriting play, a corresponding drop in the standings and heaving booing from the home crowd all contributed to some seriously bad vibes.
However, the knob finally turned on Friday night as Jose Berrios delivered a gem on the mound and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. clubbed a three-run homer to lift the Blue Jays to a 3-0 win over the Boston Red Sox in front of 35,680 at Rogers Centre.
The duo’s contributions worked to offer temporary relief, helping the Blue Jays keep pace in the wild-card race, where they now sit one game behind the Seattle Mariners for the final spot. The pressure is by no means gone, though. The Blue Jays will need to string together wins while at the same time receiving help on the out-of-town scoreboard.
With Friday marking Roberto Clemente Day across the majors, it proved special for Berrios, a native of Bayamon, Puerto Rico. It was the first time he pitched on the celebratory day in his career. As well, it was his bobblehead day at Rogers Centre, marking a nice dose of serendipity.
The right-hander allowed doubles in three separate innings to the Red Sox but bore down to work out of the jams each time. He allowed just five hits over seven scoreless innings, striking out eight and walking none.
Jordan Hicks followed Berrios with a scoreless eighth inning and Jordan Romano did the same in the ninth to earn his 35th save of the season.
Guerrero Jr. provided the game’s only offence with his blast in the third inning. Daulton Varsho reached on a fielder’s choice and Bo Bichette walked before Guerrero Jr. hammered a first-pitch fastball from Red Sox starter Brayan Bello into the left-field stands to give the Blue Jays a 3-0 lead. The homer, Guerrero Jr.’s second in as many days, left his bat at 108.3 m.p.h.
The blast brought the crowd to its feet with roaring applause, a starkly different sight than the past two games, which featured a chorus of boos heaped upon the home side.
