Davis Schneider’s booming bat lifts Blue Jays to win over Boston Red Sox

Max Scherzer is scheduled to start Wednesday (6:45 p.m. ET)

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Published Jun 16, 2026  •  Last updated 12 minutes ago  •  4 minute read

Andrés Giménez of the Toronto Blue Jays avoids the tag from Isiah Kiner-Falefa of the Boston Red Sox for a double in the third inning on June 16, 2026 in Boston. Photo by Jaiden Tripi /Getty Images

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From Fenway Park to Wrigley Field, the Jays will visit two of baseball’s most legendary venues during a six-game road swing, a trip back in time in some ways.

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Perhaps it will stir pleasant memories for a club in need of a spark following a series lost to the New York Yankees that capped off a disappointing 4-5 home stand.

Tuesday night in Boston, the Jays began their road trip on a positive note, even though the club’s starting pitcher wasn’t so sharp.

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The team’s return to Fenway certainly inspired Davis Schneider, whose slug factor from the right side of the plate is desperately needed and welcome.

In the case of someone once affectionately dubbed Babe by former teammate Brandon Belt, it’s a question of sustainability.

Schneider has played in three games since his callup from triple-A, going deep in consecutive games, including a monster belt that cleared the Green Monster in Toronto’s 6-1 win on Tuesday.

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As memorable a night as Schneider produced, it did take a back seat to George Springer’s milestone moment.

With two outs in the ninth inning, the veteran crushed his 300th career home run, a two-run blast that gave the Jays breathing room.

He became the 16th active big-leaguer to reach 300.

The following are three takeaways on a night Schneider and Andres Gimenez hit consecutive home runs in the fifth inning, the first time this season the Jays have recorded back-to-back dingers.

CEASE LIGHTNING

Only Jacob Misiorowski and Cristopher Sanchez have recorded more strikeouts this season than Dylan Cease, who has pitched in far fewer innings than baseball’s top two K leaders.

In his previous start, Cease whiffed 11, while walking one and yielding three hits in six elite innings.

And then Tuesday’s first inning arrived at Fenway, a venerable ballpark known for its quirky dimensions, while serving up some unique moments.

Witness a broken-bat pop-up that landed just behind the mound, a sequence that seemed to sum up Cease’s outing.

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Long at-bats, base-runners aplenty, an elevated pitch count, this was not, by any standard, a quality start for Cease.

It’s hard to be overly critical when no runs were yielded, as Cease provided his club with five shutout innings.

Keep in mind the Red Sox stranded a runner in scoring position in each inning.

In fact, Boston went 1-for-10 against Cease with runners in scoring position.

The seven strikeouts increased Cease’s season total to 110.

Once Cease’s night had ended, Jeff Hoffman continued the scoreless theme, followed by Tyler Rogers.

Tommy Nance started the eighth inning by recording a strikeout before the righty served up a solo home run to Jarren Duran, cutting Toronto’s lead to 4-1.

A two-out single prompted the Jays to have Louis Varland warm up.

After Nance issued a walk, the Red Sox suddenly had the potential tying run at the plate.

Enter Varland, who ended the eighth with a strikeout.

Despite issuing a two-out walk in the ninth, Varland earned the save.

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GREEN MONSTER MASH

In his return from a wrist issue, Gimenez made solid contact on a ball that went off the iconic Green Monster in left field in the third inning.

Under no circumstance is any ball hit off the wall assured of resulting in a double.

To his credit, Gimenez ran hard right out of the batter’s box and made a very adroit slide to avoid the tag at second base.

Gimenez was called out, but he immediately motioned to the dugout, asking for a review.

Video clearly showed Gimenez was safe and as a result the out call was overturned. Myles Straw followed Gimenez at the plate and produced a plate appearance for the ages by fouling off nine pitches.

Straw’s main job was to advance Gimenez, knowing the top of the order was up.

Mission accomplished, as a sacrifice fly to right field did the job, his perseverance not lost on his teammates, who gleefully applauded Straw.

For the record, Straw’s 14-pitch plate appearance is a club high this season, and tied for the longest in the majors.

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A second sacrifice fly, this one from Springer, allowed Gimenez to score.

FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLE(S)

The Red Sox aren’t good in 2026, and have witnessed several high-end players leaving for different reasons.

A managerial change initiated earlier in the season has done little to change the club’s fortunes.

Some signs of optimism have emerged, including an emerging Payton Tolle, who was the starting pitcher against the Jays.

It’s rare for Ernie Clement to swing through a pitch, even rarer for Clement to strikeout in his first two at-bats.

Credit Tolle, who gave up one hit, while striking out five through the opening four innings.

Another of his strikeout victims was Alejandro Kirk, who hit cleanup.

In the fifth, the lefty gave up a leadoff homer, the first of back-to-back belts as the Jays led 3-0.

Tolle ended the frame by striking out Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on a called strike.

UP NEXT

Max Scherzer has pitched in far more important games and appeared on far bigger stages, but there’s something different about Wednesday’s start for the veteran right-hander; to be blunt, he has not been good this season and his return from the IL last week against Philadelphia went as poorly as possible; needless to say, Scherzer needs to bounce back or the conversation surrounding his status will only get more difficult.

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