Semien Walks Off Doubleheader Pitching Duel

After six innings, the Blue Jays had a single baserunner.

Nick Pivetta painted corners, induced soft contact, and allowed just one Toronto hitter to reach base. But Robbie Ray matched him pitch for pitch.

A night after the Blue Jays cracked open a nine-run fifth inning, taking the series opener over the Red Sox with a late-game offensive showcase, Saturday afternoon was about the pitching. The Red Sox and Blue Jays combined for zero hits through the game’s opening four frames as Ray and Pivetta shaped dueling gems.

"You notice early on that it was going to be a back-and-forth pitcher's duel," Ray said.

But after both starters left the game, it took just one pitch. Marcus Semien jumped a 95-MPH Matt Barnes fastball, launching it deep into left field. It was just Toronto’s second hit of the ball game (fourth hit total), but it was the only knock that mattered. Blue Jay batters spilled out of the dugout before the deep fly even landed.

“When Semien hit that first-pitch homer it was amazing," Ray said. "Everyone was screaming and yelling, it was a fun experience for sure.”

Even hard-hit balls were erased by smooth defense all afternoon. Santiago Espinal barehanded a slow roller in the third and Boston’s right fielder erased a liner in the bottom of the fifth as both teams clawed for a single tally.

“You're no Gretzky,” a fan barked at Hunter Renfroe (#99) as he slid along the turf, backhanding a Teoscar Hernández scorcher to keep the Blue Jays off the board. Even when Ray let two on in the sixth inning, and a bizarre replay review extended the frame, Toronto’s starter left the mound with a zero. Ray and Pivetta each finished with six scoreless innings and a pair of no-decisions.

Since the Blue Jays returned home, they’ve won eight of nine games. They’ve topped teams by eight runs and snuck out with two-hit wins like Saturday's. Toronto has slowly scratched within two games of a playoff spot and have a chance to win their first series of the season against the Red Sox tonight.

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