Crochet pitches 8 sharp innings, Yoshida and Narváez homer as Red Sox beat slumping Blue Jays 7-1

TORONTO AP Garrett Crochet pitched eight shutout innings Masataka Yoshida and Carlos Narv ez homered and the Boston Red Sox beat the slumping Toronto Blue Jays - on Wednesday night Trevor Story had three hits as Boston won for the fourth time in five games and inched closer to securing an American League wild card Crochet - struck out six walked none and allowed three hits to win his fifth straight decision Isiah Kiner-Falefa homered off Payton Tolle in the ninth for Toronto The slumping Blue Jays lost for the sixth time in seven games They ve scored one run or fewer in all six of those defeats The Blue Jays began the day with the AL s best record and a one-game lead over the New York Yankees in the AL East Torontos slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr was ejected by plate umpire Gabe Morales for arguing after he struck out looking in the seventh Hitting coach David Popkins was tossed for arguing from the dugout Blue Jays right-hander Max Scherzer allowed four runs and hits in five innings including three runs on five consecutive hits in the first Scherzer - is winless in five starts The three-time Cy Young Award winner allowed a season-worst seven runs and got only two outs in his previous start at Kansas City last Friday Yoshida s leadoff homer in the fifth was his third of Narv ez made it - with a three-run drive off Jose Berr os in the eighth his th Key moment Wilyer Abreu ended the meeting by throwing out slow-footed Alejandro Kirk at first base on a sharp one-hopper to right field Key stat Crochet leads the majors with strikeouts Up next Boston RHP Brayan Bello - ERA is scheduled to start Thursday s series finale Toronto pushed back Shane Bieber to Friday and hadn t declared a replacement AP MLB https apnews com hub mlb Source