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Instant Reaction: Blue Jays bats come alive to sweep Red Sox at Fenway Park
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Photo credit: © Eric Canha-Imagn Images
Tristan Morgan
Jun 18, 2026, 17:00 EDTUpdated: Jun 18, 2026, 21:09 EDT
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How sweep it is! The Toronto Blue Jays are on the doorstep of .500; they sit in the third American League Wild Card spot, as they just swept the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park, outscoring them 13-4 across three games in this dominant mid-week series.
Trey Yesavage captained the ship again in this one. However, in his last outing, Yesavage had issued six walks in five innings against the New York Yankees and posted an 18:17 K:BB ratio across his last four outings. The walks have been a lacking area in his game to this point, with a 12.6% walk rate before this afternoon. But today, it wasn’t. Yesavage went 7.1 innings on 95 pitches, allowing just one walk and four hits, while racking up six strikeouts. After burning seven arms in yesterday’s bullpen game, the efficiency was surely appreciated by all. 
Yesavage has proven his spot in the big leagues now, and there’s little to say otherwise at this point. Opponents are barrelling him at just 4.6%, with an expected batting average of just .195. Plus, the splitter continues to be a problem for opposing teams, generating an immense 57.1% whiff rate. 
It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, however, for Yesavage. When he came back out for the eighth inning with a 3-1 lead, it was gone within the blink of an eye. Former Blue Jay Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Caleb Durbin went back-to-back to tie the ballgame and quickly ended Yesavage’s night just a batter later. It’s worth noting that Durbin’s game-tying homer measured 334 feet and would have only been a home run at Fenway Park, but hey, that’s baseball.
On the other side, Sonny Gray entered today 8-1 with a 3.03 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, and a 7.4 K/9 across 62.1 innings. He went seven innings, allowing three runs on six hits with four strikeouts and a walk. It was a quality start, but a tough outcome for the 36-year-old, with the Red Sox’s offence remaining mostly silent.  
Despite entering this one 0-7 against Gray for his career, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. finally put a charge into one early this afternoon, blasting the first pitch he saw over the Green Monster for his fourth home run of the season, and his first since May 17th.
 When Guerrero is doing his job, it makes it a lot easier for everyone else in the starting nine to hit within their own identities; nobody has to try and step up and make up for lost production. That home run is a step in the right direction for Guerrero and is perhaps the beginning of a new, better chapter of 2026. However, it remains to be seen whether he can build this into greater momentum. Guerrero is still on pace for just nine home runs this season, including a career-low slugging percentage.
Nathan Lukes also decided to join in on the fun, hitting a home run of his own in the top of the seventh for his second of the season, and of the month. In the last 30 days, Luke’s been knocking the cover off the ball, hitting .355, and has firmly established his presence in the zone, no matter who’s on the mound. 
Keeping the line moving, George Springer went 2-for-4 Thursday and over the last week is hitting .294 with two home runs and three stolen bases. The early-2026 version of Springer was one of the more concerning stories in the lineup. It’s a story we’ve all heard before: a player whose power and athleticism appeared to be finally catching up with age. However, his recent performance suggests otherwise, and Unc may still have a lot left in the tank.
Now for perhaps the best at-bat of the year for the Blue Jays and absolutely the moment of the afternoon. Coming in, Aroldis Chapman had a 0.51 ERA across 17.2 innings in 2026, with a 23:7 K:BB and a scoreless streak stretching 13.2 innings.  He had not given up a run since April 4. He has 362 career saves and is arguably the most recognizable closer of the 21st century. Brandon Valenzuela stepped up for his first career plate appearance against Chapman after battling for eight pitches. Chapman released a 100 mph sinker at the top of the zone, and Valenzuela didn’t miss it. 
At an over 50-degree launch angle, Valenzuela drove the ball high into left field, and the wind of the Atlantic coast did the rest. It banged off the Green Monster for a double. Ernie Clement scored, and the Blue Jays took the lead 4-3 in what was the eventual dagger to seal the deal in the afternoon.
Mason Fluharty closed out the game with little resistance from the Red Sox to pick up his first save of 2026, in a well-deserved day off for Tyler Rogers, Jeff Hoffman, and Louis Varland, who have all been carrying their weight and more this season.
On the other side of this series, Boston’s postseason hopes may effectively be over. The Red Sox now sit 16 games back in the division. Prior to this series, there was at least a conversation to be had about whether they were buyers, sellers, or somewhere in between this July at the Trade Deadline. After getting outscored 13-4 over three games at home against Toronto, that conversation may be over.
The Blue Jays, meanwhile, board a flight north-west with some momentum in their pocket as Wrigleyville awaits a three-game tussle with the Chicago Cubs, as Toronto looks to break over .500 for the first time since the opening week of the 2026 season.

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