Payton Tolle, Caleb Durbin break Red Sox out of five-game skid

The Red Sox came back down to Earth from the historic July stretch over their last five consecutive losses. Being swept into Toronto would’ve begun the calls for valid concerns. 

Instead, two key contributors from the summer success turned in exactly what the Red Sox needed to put their August sprint back on track in a 7-0 win Thursday. 

Here’s three takeaways from Thursday afternoon’s win. 

TOLLE TERRIFIC

Garrett Crochet isn’t available to be the stopper right now. Luckily for the Red Sox, Payton Tolle is. 

He didn’t have true strikeout stuff Thursday afternoon, but Toronto could not figure him out. The southpaw set down the last 17 hitters he faced in eight shutout innings with just two hits allowed.

In a stretch where worries swirled about his workload, Tolle has allowed just three earned runs in his last 20 innings of work with 25 strikeouts. 

THE DURBINATOR
Caleb Durbin might play with nine functioning fingers the rest of the season with consistent treatment of his pinky, but he delivered the most consequential swing of the week. 

Boston got two on before a Willson Contreras sacrifice bunt and an intentional walk issued to Masataka Yoshida. Durbin made the most of a bases-loaded opportunity with his second grand slam of the summer and his career-best 12th homer of the year. He added an RBI knock for insurance in the ninth inning. 

While the Red Sox failed to do much against Max Scherzer (entered with 5.77 lifetime ERA vs. Boston), Durbin brought the run support needed to avoid the sweep. 

BYE BYE, BIRDIES

The Red Sox will be thrilled to be rid of the Blue Jays for the remainder of the regular season. Even after Thursday’s victory, Boston went just 4-9 against Toronto in 2026. 

The Blue Jays would have work to do to jump one of the three AL East playoff contenders in the Red Sox, the Yankees and the Rays.