Daulton Varsho hit a grand slam and the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the visiting Boston Red Sox 6-1 on Thursday night.
Varsho’s second grand slam of the season snapped a 0-0 tie in the sixth and helped the Blue Jays salvage the finale of the three-game series. George Springer added a two-run homer later in the inning.
The Red Sox (87-72) needed a win to clinch a postseason spot after taking the first two games of the series.
The Blue Jays (91-68), who have clinched a playoff spot, remain tied with the New York Yankees — 5-3 winners over the Chicago White Sox — for first in the American League East. Toronto owns the tiebreaker.
Louis Varland served as Toronto’s opener and pitched two perfect innings with three strikeouts before Eric Lauer took over in the third.
The Blue Jays loaded the bases against Brayan Bello (11-9) in the third on two walks and an infield hit. Anthony Santander hit a long drive to right that was foul before accepting a called third strike to end the threat.
Toronto right fielder Nathan Lukes, who tripled in the first inning, made a diving catch on Ceddanne Rafaela’s line drive to end the fifth. It kept Boston without a runner reaching base.
Bello made a superb defensive play on Springer’s hard comebacker to start a double play in the bottom of the fifth.
Lauer, who retired all ten batters he faced, struck out Nathaniel Lowe to open the sixth before being replaced by Yariel Rodriguez (3-2).
The Blue Jays started the home sixth when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. reached first base on shortstop Trevor Story’s throwing error. Addison Barger walked and Bello hit Santander with a 3-2 pitch to load the bases.
Justin Wilson replaced Bello and Varsho smashed an 0-2 fastball to right center for his 20th home run of the season. Andres Gimenez doubled and Springer hit a fastball from Zack Kelly to right for his 31st homer to cap the six-run surge.
Jarren Duran led off the seventh with a double against Braydon Fisher to break a 0-for-12 personal drought and give the Red Sox their first runner of the game. Story followed with an RBI single. After a walk, Seranthony Dominguez replaced Fisher and fanned Romy Gonzalez to end the threat.
Boston loaded the bases in the ninth against Jeff Hoffman on a hit batter, a walk and an infield single, but did not score.
Hoffman was the seventh pitcher of the night for Toronto.
