Red Sox Secure Playoff Berth With 7-1 Victory Over Blue Jays

Garrett Crochet delivered an impressive performance pitching eight shutout innings with six strikeouts and no walks, leading the Boston Red Sox to a 7-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays. Masataka Yoshida and Carlos Narváez contributed key home runs, while Trevor Story added three hits for Boston, which secured its fourth win in five games and edged closer to an American League wild card spot. The Blue Jays, despite being assured a playoff berth, have struggled recently, losing six of seven games and scoring one run or fewer in those defeats, dropping into a tie with the New York Yankees atop the AL East. Toronto's Max Scherzer had a tough outing, allowing four runs and 10 hits in five innings, continuing his winless streak in five starts. Tensions flared as Toronto's Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and hitting coach David Popkins were ejected for arguing after a strikeout. Boston's Brayan Bello is slated to start the next game, while Toronto has delayed Shane Bieber's start and has not announced a replacement yet.