BASEBALL: Ranger Suarez, Red Sox blank Blue Jays, win third straight

Left-hander Ranger Suarez delivered a masterful performance, pitching eight innings of one-hit ball as the Boston Red Sox cruised to a 5-0 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday night. The win marked the Red Sox’s third consecutive victory, their longest winning streak of the season, with the last two wins coming under interim manager Chad Tracy.

Suarez (2-2) was nearly unhittable, striking out 10 and walking just one in the opener of a three-game series at Rogers Centre. Greg Weissert sealed the shutout with a scoreless ninth, despite allowing a double.

The Red Sox offense was fueled by Carlos Narvaez, who launched a solo home run, and contributions from Marcelo Mayer and Wilyer Abreu. Both Mayer and Abreu finished with two hits, a walk, and an RBI in the game.

Boston opened the scoring in the fourth inning. After Willson Contreras led off with a single, Abreu walked, and Mayer followed with a clutch two-out single to center, giving the Red Sox a 1-0 lead.

The Red Sox extended their lead with two runs in the fifth inning. Caleb Durbin drew a walk and was forced at second on Jarren Duran's grounder to second. Contreras was hit by a pitch, and the runners advanced when Dylan Cease’s pickoff attempt sailed into center field. Duran came home on a misplay by Cease, who tripped while attempting to field Roman Anthony’s slow roller. Abreu added a two-out RBI double to right that was dropped by Blue Jays outfielder Jesus Sanchez.

In the sixth, Boston added another run. Mayer led off with a walk, and Ceddanne Rafaela singled. A double-play grounder moved Mayer to third, and Durbin’s soft single to left brought him home to make it 4-0. Cease (1-1), who allowed four runs on seven hits and three walks in 5 2/3 innings, was replaced by Joe Mantiply after the run.

Toronto's offense was stifled all night, with the Blue Jays recording just one walk until Sanchez’s leadoff double in the sixth. Suarez, however, responded with two strikeouts and a flyout to escape the inning unscathed.

Narvaez added a second home run in the eighth, sending a 2-2 sweeper from Chase Lee over the left-center field wall.

The Blue Jays also made headlines earlier in the day by placing ace Max Scherzer on the injured list due to tendinitis in his right forearm and inflammation in his left ankle.

With the win, the Red Sox continue their momentum as they look to extend their winning streak in the second game of the series on Tuesday.

—Field Level Media/Reuters