BOSTON — Rafael Devers hit an RBI single with one out in the ninth inning Thursday night and the struggling Boston Red Sox rallied for a 7-6 victory against the Toronto Blue Jays for their first home win of the season.
The victory came in a game in which Ted Williams’ historic 502-foot home run seemingly was challenged by a Blue Jays homer.
Devers had his first career walk-off RBI.
Marcus Walden pitched a scoreless ninth to earn his second victory of the season.
The loss went to Ken Giles (0-1), who gave up two runs, two hits and walked three in the ninth, ending his streak of 34 consecutive converted save opportunities dating to Sept. 12, 2017. It was the longest active streak in the majors.
The Blue Jays took a 5-0 lead in the third inning with a pair of home runs off Red Sox starter Nathan Eovaldi.
The Red Sox came back and tied the game when Mitch Moreland homered in the seventh. After Freddy Galvis put Toronto back in front with a solo home run in the eighth as part of a four-hit night, Moreland tied it again in the ninth with a one-out double that scored Mookie Betts.
Giles intentionally walked J.D. Martinez. Then, pinch-runner Eduardo Nunez stole third, putting runners at the corners. Xander Bogaerts walked to load the bases, setting up Devers’ hit.
Justin Smoak got the scoring going for Toronto. With two on in the third, he roped Eovaldi’s two-out, 99 mph fastball over the center- field wall. Then, after Randal Grichuk walked, Rowdy Tellez hit an Eovaldi cutter that landed in the right-field bleachers.
The homer initially was measured by Statcast at 505 feet, making it the longest home run in Fenway Park history, three feet beyond the homer by Williams in 1946. The landing spot for that one is marked with a special red seat.
But an eyeball test seemed to show it landed shorter than Williams’ famed homer. A message left with Major League Baseball seeking clarification wasn’t immediately returned. The 505-foot distance originally posted for the Tellez homer later was taken off Statcast’s website.
NOTES: Left-hander Brian Johnson (left elbow inflammation) continues to receive treatment but currently is being restricted from all baseball activities. Utilityman Brock Holt saw a doctor Tuesday for the scratched cornea in his right eye … Manager Alex Cora said he is pushing back Chris Sale’s next scheduled start Monday in what would be the series finale against the Orioles. Sale instead will get two extra days of rest and is expected to be on the mound Tuesday when the Red Sox visit the Yankees.
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