Red Sox grind out 4-1 win over Blue Jays to strengthen playoff position

TORONTO — If the Red Sox are going to make the playoffs, performances like Tuesday’s are going to be what gets them there.

Starting pitcher Lucas Giolito didn’t have his best stuff or command. Didn’t matter. Shortstop Trevor Story committed two errors in the first two innings. Didn’t matter. The Blue Jays seemed like they had traffic all night and a million chances to pile on runs. The Red Sox didn’t let it happen.

And in the end, Boston stood tall.

The Red Sox grinded out a huge 4-1 win over the first-place Blue Jays in Tuesday’s series opener, riding a three-run sixth inning capped off by a two-run double by Carlos Narvaez that gave the club some breathing room.

Boston also held Toronto to three hits, 1 for 6 with runners in scoring position and stranded nine Blue Jays batters. Nathaniel Lowe repeatedly came up big, tallying a pair of RBI singles and a walk, and the Red Sox bullpen retired the last 13 batters they faced to finish the job.

Early on it looked like it was going to be a long night for the visitors.

Story’s defense has been a major reason why the club is in the postseason hunt, but lately it’s also been one of the things holding the team back. The veteran has now committed five errors in his last five games dating back to Thursday against the Athletics, and Tuesday the Red Sox were fortunate they didn’t ultimately lead to any runs.

The first error came on the first at-bat of the game for the Blue Jays, when Story bounced the throw on what should have been a routine groundout to short by George Springer. Giolito responded by forcing three straight pop-outs to end the inning.

The second was potentially much more damaging. With two outs and two men on, Ernie Clement hit a ground ball to second, which second baseman Romy Gonzalez decided to pitch to Story. Story ran in to beat the runner but dropped the throw, allowing everyone to reach safely and Springer to step to the plate with the bases loaded.

Springer should have had at least a two-run double on a line drive down the left-field line, but the ball was ruled foul even though it clearly appeared fair. Then Giolito struck Springer out looking on a pitch outside the zone, a second gift that enabled the Red Sox to escape without incident.

At that point the Red Sox were clinging to a 1-0 lead, which they got after Masataka Yoshida led off the second with a double and scored on a two-out RBI single by Lowe. Boston got men at second and third afterwards on a double by Wilyer Abreu that found no-man’s land in left field, but Narvaez lined out to end the threat.

The Blue Jays tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the fourth, but once again the Red Sox were able to limit the damage. Nathan Lukes led off with a double, Davis Schneider singled and Andres Gimenez scored Lukes with an RBI fielder’s choice. Giolito then allowed a single that Ceddanne Rafaela just missed making a diving catch on, but he battled back and struck out Daulton Varsho to strand runners at the corners.

All that work drove up Giolito’s pitch count, however, and after walking his fourth batter of the day he was pulled with two outs in the fifth. He was charged with one run over 4 2/3 innings on three hits with three strikeouts.

Justin Wilson got out of the fifth, and from that point on the Red Sox took control.

The Red Sox scored three runs in the sixth, getting a double from Gonzalez, a single from Rafaela and a second RBI single by Lowe that put Boston ahead 2-1. Rafaela was caught in a rundown between third and home trying to score on Abreu’s ensuing infield grounder, but the Red Sox extended their lead anyway when Narvaez crushed a line drive to right for a two-run double.

Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman, who has long been a thorn in the Red Sox’s side, left the game after allowing four runs over 5 2/3 innings with nine hits, a walk and seven strikeouts.

Meanwhile, Wilson, Garrett Whitlock, Justin Slaten and Aroldis Chapman made sure the Blue Jays never threatened again. Toronto did not get a baserunner off the Red Sox bullpen after Wilson walked the first batter he faced, and Chapman slammed the door in the ninth to record his 32nd save of the season, aided in part by an outstanding defensive play by Story, an appropriate ending to what started off as a tough day.

Now, Garrett Crochet will look to pick up where his teammates left off when he takes the ball on Wednesday.

Playoff latest

The Cleveland Guardians beat Tarik Skubal and the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday, 5-2, moving into a tie for first place in the AL Central. With the win the Guardians also clinched the season series and the tiebreaker over the Tigers, meaning that if the season ended today Cleveland would be division champions.

The Tigers at one point held a 14-game lead in the AL Central, and as recently as Sept. 10 they led the Guardians by 9.5.

The Red Sox (86-71) are now one game ahead of both teams, though Boston would probably prefer Detroit ultimately win the AL Central given that the Red Sox own the tiebreaker over the Guardians but likely will not over the Tigers in any scenario where the tiebreaker comes into play. The Red Sox and Tigers square off at Fenway Park to end the regular season this weekend in what is shaping up to be a decisive series.

Still alive

While it remains extremely unlikely, the Red Sox are still mathematically in the hunt for the AL East with Tuesday’s win. For the Red Sox to steal the crown away from the Blue Jays they would have to win all of their remaining games, Toronto would have to lose all of theirs, and the Yankees would need to lose at least twice as well.