TORONTO The Boston Red Sox left Rogers Centre with a 7–0 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays, avoiding a sweep and ending a pressure filled five game losing streak.
Boston held only a 1–0 lead for most of the game before Caleb Durbin blasted a grand slam in the eighth inning, breaking the game open and carrying the Red Sox to a convincing victory.
The result helped Boston regain confidence in the AL Wild Card race, but the most notable story after the game unexpectedly came from Toronto’s own clubhouse.
Blue Jays icon Max Scherzer surprised fans when he expressed special admiration for a young Red Sox pitcher after what he witnessed from the opposite mound.
The 42 year old veteran understands exactly how much focus and composure a pitcher needs to completely control a lineup over multiple innings.
Scherzer therefore did not focus on Toronto’s defeat, instead turning his attention toward a performance he believed deserved recognition.
The player who received that special praise was Payton Tolle, the rookie who became the central figure in Boston’s important victory.
Tolle not only kept the Blue Jays from scoring a run, but also produced a dominant stretch that left the home lineup completely without answers during the latter part of the game.
After the game, Scherzer tipped his cap to the young pitcher, a reaction that quickly drew attention from fans of both teams.
For a rookie, receiving recognition from a pitcher with three Cy Young Awards and two World Series championships carries particularly significant meaning.
Scherzer was reportedly especially impressed by Tolle’s ability to remain calm and refuse to let any situation change the way he attacked Toronto’s hitters.
“He retired 17 of our guys in a row. That was a tremendous performance, and you have to respect that. He controlled the game, never panicked and consistently made the pitch he needed to make. For a young pitcher, that is the kind of thing that makes everyone take notice.”
Those words immediately generated excitement throughout the Red Sox community, especially because they came from one of the most accomplished and experienced pitchers of his generation.
Tolle completed eight scoreless innings, allowing only two hits while throwing a total of 91 pitches in an extremely efficient outing.
He recorded only four strikeouts, but what was remarkable was his ability to generate weak contact and quickly finish Blue Jays plate appearances.
After allowing Toronto some opportunities early, Tolle completely shut down the lineup and retired the final 17 consecutive batters he faced.
Not a single Toronto hitter in that stretch managed to reach base, allowing Boston to face virtually no significant pressure during the closing innings.
The performance became even more valuable with the Red Sox bullpen missing Garrett Whitlock because of injury, while several other relievers needed protection after heavy workloads.
Tolle therefore did more than help Boston avoid a sweep and end its five game losing streak. He also delivered eight valuable innings at exactly the moment his team needed them most.
And when a veteran of Scherzer’s stature is willing to openly express admiration for the rookie on the opposite side, the 7–0 victory may be remembered as one of the nights Payton Tolle truly made all of MLB begin to take notice.
