The Toronto Blue Jays lost a one-run game to the Boston Red Sox for the second consecutive night on Tuesday. This time, it wasn't a walk-off loss in extra innings as the host Red Sox scored the winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning, but that's of little comfort.
Toronto fell to 15-12 with the team's third consecutive loss, falling six games off the pace of the American League East-leading Tampa Bay Blue Jays after the 7-6 defeat.
While the Toronto Blue Jays still boast a .600 winning percentage on the season, a second-straight loss to their division rivals Boston Red Sox has many in MLB's lone Canadian outpost setting off panic bells.
It was just a week ago that the Blue Jays were in the midst of a six-game winning streak, but it appears that many Toronto fans have very short memories.
Forgive Toronto Blue Jays fans for being a bit irritable on Tuesday night. The team's loss at Fenway Park came just a few minutes after the Toronto Maple Leafs were defeated at home 4-2 by the upstart Florida Panthers in Game 1 of the NHL's Stanley Cup quarter-finals. It was just a rough night to be a fan of Toronto sports.
Rubbing salt in the wounds of Blue Jays fans was that the difference-maker for the Boston Red Sox was a very unlikely source.
Backup catcher Connor Wong hit a game-tying home run in the bottom of the sixth inning before hitting the game-winning homer in the bottom of the eighth. Wong went 4-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored in the game to lift his batting average this season to .290.
Toronto Blue Jays star left fielder George Springer went 0-for-5 out of the leadoff spot, dropping his average to a paltry .216 on the season. Fans are fiercely clamoring for manager John Schneider to move Springer further down the order.
Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox have two more games to go in series
The Blue Jays still have a chance to earn a series split against the Red Sox, as the teams play twice more over the next two days. Toronto staff ace Alek Manoah takes the mound on Wednesday night against Boston's Nick Pivetta. Kevin Gausman starts Thursday for the Blue Jays against Red Sox youngster Brayan Bello.