Instant Reaction: Blue Jays offence quiet again in 7-1 defeat to Red Sox

Originally posted on Bluejaysnation | By Ryley Delaney | Last updated Sep 24, 2025 9:45 PM ET

Just like that, the Toronto Blue Jays’ division lead is no more.

On Wednesday evening, the Jays played the second of three against the Boston Red Sox, falling 4-0 to bring their record to 90-68. Let’s take a look at what went on in this one.

Things started poorly before the Blue Jays even had a chance to swing the bats. Max Scherzer struck out the first batter he faced, but allowed back-to-back singles to put runners on the corners for Masataka Yoshida. The Red Sox’s designated hitter hit a double to score one, and two more runs were cashed in on Romy González’s RBI single.

With Garrett Crochet on the mound, it was another quiet night for the Blue Jays’ offence. When Yoshida hit a home run in the top of the fifth, it was all but over. The Red Sox added three more runs in the top of the eighth thanks to a Carlos Narváez home run.

Down to three outs, the Blue Jays saw Isiah Kiner-Falefa hit his first home run since returning to the team. That’s good at least, right?

TOR – Isiah Kiner-Falefa Solo HR (2)

354 ft | 94.6 mph | 33°
⚾️ 99.5 mph four-seam fastball (BOS – LHP Payton Tolle)
️ Out in 10/30 MLB parks

BOS (7) @ TOR (1)
9th#LightsUpLetsGo pic.twitter.com/tBZBzgZE4j

— MLB Home Runs (@MLBHRs_) September 25, 2025

Takeaways…

Wednesday’s game could be the last time Max Scherzer ever pitches in the big leagues. It wasn’t a great start for the 41-year-old, as he gave up a myriad of hits in the first inning that put the Jays in a hole before they even had a chance to hit. After the first inning, he was okay, going five innings and allowing four earned runs.

José Berríos made his first appearance out of the bullpen since 2017 in this game. His first inning was good, his second was not, as he allowed a three-run home run. Brendon Little got some work, pitching a clean inning, while Tommy Nance allowed a walk in a scoreless inning.

What can you even say about the Blue Jays’ offence at this point? Over their last seven games, they’ve had more than four hits just once in their postseason-clinching victory. After the second game of the Rays’ series, the Jays had a five-game division lead over the Yankees.

Frustration boiled over for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the bottom of the seventh, as he was thrown out of the game for arguing balls and strikes. This was a strike and it was the first time since 2019 Guerrero Jr. has hit the showers early. Hitting coach Dave Popkins followed shortly after.

With the Blue Jays’ defeat and a Yankees victory, that division lead is no more, as both teams have a 90-68 record. The only reason the Blue Jays are still ahead of the Yankees is because they won the season series. Not great.

The Jays look to salvage the series and their division lead on Thursday in the series finale. Starting for the Red Sox is Brayan Bello, while the Blue Jays will have a bullpen day, which isn’t ideal in the situation the Blue Jays are in. That game starts at 7:07 PM ET.

This article first appeared on Bluejaysnation and was syndicated with permission.

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