Kevin Gausman pitched six effective innings on the mound and the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Boston Red Sox 6-1 on Wednesday night.
Alejandro Kirk drove in three runs for the Blue Jays (74-85), who snapped their five-game losing streak. Jonatan Clase hit his first career home run and added two singles. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had two safe hits.
The Red Sox (80-79) failed to complete a three-game sweep and saw their winning streak snapped to four.
Jarren Duran had two hits and scored the lone run for the Red Sox, who were officially eliminated from the playoffs.
Gausman (14-11) allowed one run, four hits and three walks to record his third straight victory. Brendon Little, Erik Swanson and Chad Green each blanked the visitors for one inning.
Richard Fitts (0-1) made his fourth career start for the Red Sox. He had not allowed an earned run in his first three starts.
Toronto nearly ended that streak in the first inning, but Kirk grounded out to leave Clase on third base.
Fitts ran into trouble in the fourth inning, when Guerrero doubled before crossing the plate following a double by Kirk. Kirk came in to score on a single by Ernie Clement.
Kirk drove in two runs in the fifth inning, slamming the ball against the right-field fence. The catcher was pinned at second base to end the inning, however.
Gausman lost his shutout in the sixth inning. Duran doubled and reached the plate when Triston Casas singled to right field.
Fitts allowed four earned runs, six hits and two walks in five innings of work.
Before the game, Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette underwent surgery to repair a fractured middle finger in his right hand.
Bichette suffered the season-ending injury last week while catching ground balls in practice.
The team did not offer a timetable for Bichette’s rehabilitation, but expects him to be ready by the start of training camp.
Bichette has been injured more often than not this season. Before this fracture, he was twice on the injured list due to a strained right calf.
In his return to play after a 52-game absence, on September 17 against the Texas Rangers, he had two hits. He was injured the next day.
In 81 games this season, Bichette has a batting average of .225, with four home runs and 31 RBIs.