Varsho Grand Slam Puts Blue Jays Closer to AL East

Daulton Varsho’s sixth-inning grand slam on an 0-2 pitch — his second grand slam of the season and fifth of his career — broke a 0-0 tie and lifted the Toronto Blue Jays to a 6-1 win over the Boston Red Sox. The bases had been loaded after a throwing error, a walk and a hit-by-pitch, and George Springer added a two-run homer later in the inning to spark the six-run surge that sealed the series finale. Bullpen trio Louis Varland, Eric Lauer and Yariel Rodríguez combined for six perfect innings before Boston’s Jarren Duran doubled in the seventh to end it. The victory moved Toronto to 91-68, keeping them tied with the New York Yankees atop the AL East (Toronto holds the tiebreaker) and reducing their magic number to clinch the division to three, while Boston’s loss delayed a postseason clinch. Manager John Schneider praised the team’s composure, likening their steadiness in the stretch to "drownproofing."