G145: Blue Jays 4, Red Sox 3

Red Sox   - 100 020 000 - 3  8  0
Blue Jays - 001 120 00x - 4  9  0

Mookie Betts hit the first pitch of the game off the left field foul pole - a true leadoff home run, the 14th of his career - but the Blue Jays came back and won 4-3 on Tuesday night.

(Betts has also hit six home runs as the first batter in the bottom of the first inning, but those are not "leadoff" home runs. Ignore anyone who says Mookie has hit 20 leadoff homers.)

Toronto led 2-1, when Devers doubled (#50) with one out in the top of the fifth. Devers is the youngest Red Sox player to hit 50 doubles in a season, the eighth Red Sox player overall, and the first since Dustin Pedroia had 54 in 2008. J.D. Martinez followed with a ground-rule double to left, thanks to fan interference. Devers scored to tie the game. With two outs Andrew Benintendi singled to center, scoring JDM.

But as been the case so often during this depressing season, the opposition immediately wiped out the Red Sox's lead. After Nathan Eovaldi (4.1-6-3-2-6, 93) walked Cavan Biggio and struck out Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Josh Taylor gave up a two-run dong to Rowdy Tellez.

The Red Sox were retired in order in the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings. With one out in the ninth, pinch-hitter Brock Holt singled off Ken Giles. Gorkys Hernández ran for Holt and stole second. Giles struck out Marco Hernández, but he walked Betts. Devers got ahead 2-0 and eventually knocked a 2-2 pitch to center, where Jonathan Davis made the game-ending catch.

AL: The Yankees lost 12-11 to the Tigers, after blowing leads of 6-0, 8-6, and 11-10. ... The Astros outscored the Mariners 36-1 on Sunday and Monday, but were routed 21-7 by the Athletics this evening.

AL Wild Card: TBR +1.5, OAK –, CLE 0.5, BOS 9.0.

Nathan Eovaldi / T.J. Zeuch

Betts, RF
Devers, 3B
Martinez, DH
Moreland, 1B
Benintendi, LF
Vázquez, C
Bradley, CF
Owings, SS
M. Hernández, 2B

Tonight is T.J. Zeuch's second major league appearance and his first start. On September 3, the 24-year-old right-hander pitched four innings of relief against Atlanta, giving up three hits, two walks, and two runs. Blue Jays catcher Beau Taylor said Zeuch's debut was "absolutely amazing".

Zeuch made his AAA debut with the Buffalo Bisons on June 22, pitching 5.2 scoreless innings. On August 9, he threw a complete-game no-hitter, walking one and hitting a batter.

AL Wild Card: TBR +1.5, OAK –, CLE 0.5, BOS 8.0.