The Toronto Blue Jays earned a 4-3 win over the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on Thursday, June 18, 2026, using a ninth-inning go-ahead hit to reclaim the lead in a back-and-forth finish. Brandon Valenzuela delivered the decisive blow with an RBI double in the top of the ninth, and Mason Fluharty closed out the final inning for the save.
Toronto finished with 10 hits and no errors, while Boston had five hits and no errors. The Blue Jays left five on base and the Red Sox left two, as the game’s scoring came in bursts across the first two innings, then again late from the seventh through the ninth.
How the scoring unfolded at Fenway Park
The Blue Jays struck immediately in the top of the first. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. put Toronto in front with a solo home run, a line drive to center field, giving the visitors a 1-0 lead.
Toronto added on in the second inning. Andrés Giménez lifted a sacrifice fly to left field, allowing Kazuma Okamoto to score and extending the advantage to 2-0.
After several scoreless frames, the game opened up again in the seventh. Nathan Lukes homered on a line drive to right-center in the top of the inning to make it 3-0, but Boston answered in the bottom half. Willson Contreras grounded out (shortstop Andrés Giménez to first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr.), and Ceddanne Rafaela scored to cut the deficit to 3-1.
The Red Sox then surged ahead in the eighth. Isiah Kiner-Falefa hit a solo home run to left field, and Caleb Durbin followed with another solo shot to left-center, turning a two-run deficit into a 4-3 Boston lead heading to the ninth.
Toronto responded right away in the top of the ninth. Valenzuela doubled on a fly ball to left field, driving in Ernie Clement to tie the game at 4-4? No—his RBI double brought home the go-ahead run, putting the Blue Jays back in front 4-3. Fluharty then worked a scoreless bottom of the ninth to secure the one-run win.
Key offensive plays
Guerrero’s first-inning homer and Lukes’ seventh-inning homer supplied early and late power for Toronto. For Boston, the eighth inning was fueled by back-to-back solo home runs from Kiner-Falefa and Durbin, briefly flipping the game in the Red Sox’ favor before Valenzuela’s ninth-inning double restored Toronto’s lead.
Pitching decisions and notable lines
Tommy Nance earned the win for Toronto after throwing 0.2 scoreless innings (0 ER, 0 K, 0 BB). Mason Fluharty picked up his first save with a clean ninth (1.0 IP, 0 ER, 0 K, 0 BB). The loss went to Aroldis Chapman, who worked the ninth and allowed the deciding run (1.0 IP, 1 ER, 1 K, 0 BB).
Blue Jays starter Trey Yesavage went 7.1 innings, allowing three earned runs with six strikeouts and no walks. For Boston, Sonny Gray logged 7.0 innings with three earned runs allowed and four strikeouts (with a walk listed in the line). Justin Slaten added a scoreless inning of relief with a strikeout before Chapman took the ninth.
Box-score highlights
Among the listed top performers, Kiner-Falefa went 1-for-3 with a home run and an RBI, and Durbin went 1-for-3 with a home run and an RBI. On the mound, Yesavage’s 7.1-inning outing (6 K, 0 BB) anchored Toronto’s pitching line in a game that ultimately turned on late-inning swings and a ninth-inning extra-base hit.
