The Toronto Blue Jays’ grip on first place in the American League East Division standings weakened again Wednesday after a 7-1 loss to the Boston Red Sox.
Blue Jays starter Max Scherzer gave up three runs in the first inning and allowed a Masataka Yoshida solo shot in the fifth. Carlos Narvaez iced it with a three-run blast in the eighth inning off reliever Jose Berrios.
Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet (18-5) kept the Rogers Centre crowd of 39,438 hushed by limiting the Blue Jays to three hits over eight shutout innings.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa hit a solo homer for Toronto in the ninth.
Toronto has dropped six of its last seven games. The Red Sox outhit the Blue Jays 12-4.
Toronto’s magic number to clinch its first division title since 2015 remained at four. The Blue Jays’ lead on New York was trimmed to a half-game in the division race.
The Yankees were home to the last-place Chicago White Sox on Wednesday night.
The Blue Jays (90-68), who hold the tiebreaker advantage over New York, have already secured a playoff spot.
Scherzer (5-5) allowed four earned runs and 10 hits over five innings with five strikeouts.
Boston (87-71) holds the second of three wild-card spots in the AL. The Red Sox have won six of their last nine games.
Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was ejected in the seventh inning for arguing a strike call. Toronto hitting coach David Popkins was also tossed.
