Duran leads with 20th home run, Red Sox stop losing streak with 6-3 win over Blue Jays

By DOUG ALDEN

BOSTON (AP) — Jarren Duran opened with a home run, Masataka Yoshida added a two-run single in the three-run first inning and the Boston Red Sox ended a four-game losing streak with a 6-3 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday night.

David Hamilton, Triston Casas and Wilyer Abreu also scored runs for Boston, which had not won since beating Houston last Wednesday.

Boston also ended the Blue Jays’ five-game winning streak. Toronto has still won 10 of its last 15 games and is close to moving up from last place in the AL East standings with a month to go.

Will Wagner hit his first home run for Toronto and Daulton Varsho hit a solo home run in the ninth inning.

Duran hit his 20th home run of the season, hitting an 0-1 fastball from Yariel Rodríguez to right. Boston added three more in the fifth inning when Hamilton hit an RBI single, Casas drove in a run with a double and Abreu added an RBI single.

Wagner hit his home run in the sixth, batting off a Brennan Bernadino sinker to right-center to cut Boston’s lead to 6-2. Varsho hit his 16th in the ninth, sending Jansen into the deepest part of the stadium.

Cooper Criswell pitched 3 1/3 innings for Boston, allowing one run on five hits and three walks. He also struck out two batters. Greg Weissert (3-2) earned the win with 1 2/3 scoreless innings as a relief pitcher.

Rodríguez (1-6) allowed six earned runs on eight hits in five innings. He struck out three times and walked once.

Boston catcher Danny Jansen, who made history Monday when he played for the Red Sox in a game he started for Toronto before it was suspended due to weather on June 26, helped prevent two runs with good defense.

Jansen identified Joey Loperfido at the plate as he attempted to slip under the tag and score on a Wagner double in the second inning.

In the fourth inning, Ernie Clement unsuccessfully tried to get around Jansen after deflecting a George Springer fly to right. Abreu’s throw was accurate and just in time to complete the unusual double play to end the inning.

BACK AGAIN

The Red Sox have Rich Hill back in the fold, selecting the 44-year-old left-hander out of Triple-A Worcester on Tuesday. Hill has a chance to add a little more history to his long career. A 2024 call-up would make him the only active player to appear in a game in each of the last 20 seasons.

TRAINING ROOM

Red Sox: 3B Rafael Devers sat out the evening with shoulder soreness. … RHP Lucas Sims (right latissimus strain) was placed on the 15-day injured list and RHP Brad Keller was designated for assignment. The Red Sox have signed Hill to the active roster and recalled RHP Greg Weissert from Worcester.

Next

RHP Chris Bassitt (9-12, 4.41 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Blue Jays on Wednesday night, facing RHP Brayan Bello (11-6, 4.95) for the Red Sox.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb