The Blue Jays let a golden opportunity slip away Thursday, dropping the series finale to the Red Sox 4-3 in extra innings after winning the first three games at Fenway Park.
Toronto had Boston on the ropes twice, taking a 2-1 lead in the eighth and a 3-2 advantage in the 10th, but couldn’t close the deal. Trevor Story’s walk-off RBI groundout in the 10th allowed the Red Sox to salvage the finale and move within a game of the first-place Blue Jays in the AL East standings.
It wasn’t just the loss that stung for Toronto — it was how it happened. Home plate umpire Manny Gonzalez’s strike zone became a major storyline, with several questionable calls that seemed to favor Boston at critical moments.
Bo Bichette struck out looking on two pitches that appeared to miss the zone, while Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas got a generous ball call on a 1-2 fastball that caught part of the strike zone in the 10th inning. That missed call proved particularly costly.
Blue Jays manager John Schneider didn’t hold back his frustration after the game.
“It’s tough to battle nine hitters and an umpire,” Schneider said. “I’ve got all the respect in the world for them, but it wasn’t a great day for him behind the plate.”
The sequence following the missed Casas call made things even worse. Blue Jays reliever Nick Sandlin hit Casas with a slider to the kneecap, advancing the winning run to third base. Story then tapped a grounder to second that brought home the decisive run.
One loss won’t derail Toronto’s season, but this one stings more than most. The Blue Jays were just three outs away — twice — from completing their first four-game sweep at Fenway since 2015.
The good news? There’s plenty of baseball left, and Toronto still holds that slim lead in the division. But they’ll be hoping for better luck with the strike zone next time around.
