Blue Jays beat Red Sox twice, and Danny Jansen shows up on both sides of box score -- an MLB first

BOSTON (AP) — George Springer hit a three-run home run — his second homer of the day — to key a five-run fifth inning and the Toronto Blue Jays took two games from fading Boston by posting a 7-3 victory on Monday night to send the Red Sox to their fifth straight loss.

In the first game during the afternoon, Danny Jansen’s former team beat his current one, when Springer cleared the Green Monster with a 416-foot home run and seven Toronto pitchers combined on a four-hitter to beat the Red Sox 4-1 in the completion of a game that was suspended by rain in June.

Jansen made history as the first major leaguer to play for both teams in the same game, starting it as the Toronto catcher on June 26, when it was halted — with Jansen about to bat — in the second inning. The backup catcher was traded to Boston on July 27, and he was behind the plate when the game resumed on Monday after a delay of 65 days, 18 hours and 35 minutes.

“It was a very cool moment, just to be part of it,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “I don’t know if it’s going to happen again. It has to be kind of like the perfect storm for that to happen — starting with the storm. And I’m glad that everybody enjoyed it.”

In the second game with Toronto trailing 1-0, Springer hit a drive off reliever Brad Keller (0-4) that hooked around the Pesky Pole for his 19th homer to make it 3-1. Addison Barger followed with an RBI single and Ernie Clement added a run-scoring double to complete the big inning.

“I'm just happy to help us there,” Springer said, smiling. “It was a big situation. ... Our team is still in there fighting. We've got guys (in the clubhouse) fighting.”

The Red Sox committed four errors and fell to 14-22 since the All-Star break. They slipped further behind Minnesota for the AL’s third and final wild-card spot after dropping to 29-37 in games at Fenway Park.

“We're just not playing good baseball now,” Cora said. “It was a tough one, a tough weekend. We've just to play better and we're capable of doing that. We established a brand of baseball throughout the season and right now it's not happening.”

José Berríos (13-9) won his fourth straight start, allowing three runs, two earned, on eight hits with six strikeouts and no walks in 7 2/3 innings. The Blue Jays have won six in a row. Brendon Little got the final four outs for his first career save.

“Right now, I want to keep doing what I'm doing,” Berríos said when asked about his final month.

Jarren Duran also hit two homers on the day for the Red Sox, his second a two-run shot in the night game after a solo one during the day.

Boston right fielder Wilyer Abreu was ejected in the third inning by plate umpire Paul Clemons after he struck out swinging and said something as he was walking away. Abreu seemed bothered by the second pitch — a high strike call that made the count full.

During the day game, Jansen had one of Boston’s hits, a fifth-inning single. He was not credited with an at-bat for Toronto; he went to the plate and fouled off one pitch before the tarps came out on June 26, and Daulton Varsho was credited with the strikeout after Nick Pivetta fanned him on two more pitches.

Springer’s 18th homer snapped a scoreless, seventh-inning tie, and the Blue Jays added three in the eighth when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a two-run double and scored on a double by Barger.

Zach Pop (1-3) got the last out of the sixth for the victory. Chad Green pitched the ninth for his 15th save, striking out Jansen — who tried to check his swing — with a runner on second to seal it.

Boston’s Nick Pivetta (5-9) struck out 10 and walked none, allowing three runs — two earned — in six innings.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Red Sox: Abreu limped off after striking out in the first when he couldn’t hold up on a check swing and the ball hit the top of his left foot. He stayed in and made a sliding catch in the top of the next inning.

UP NEXT

RHP Chris Bassitt (9-12, 4.41 ERA) is slated to start Tuesday for the Blue Jays. The Red Sox will go with RHP Cooper Criswell (5-4, 4.41).

AP Sports Writer Jimmy Golen contributed to this story.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Boston Red Sox catcher Danny Jansen lines out during the resumption of the second inning of a baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays, which was delayed due to rain in June, against the Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway Park, Monday, Aug. 26, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Boston Red Sox catcher Danny Jansen watches his line out during the resumption of the second inning of a baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays, which was delayed due to rain in June, against the Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway Park, Monday, Aug. 26, 2024, in Boston. Jansen, who was traded by the Blue Jays to the Red Sox on July 27th, became the first major league player to appear in the same game for both teams. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Boston Red Sox pitcher Nick Pivetta applauds after a diving catch by outfielder Wilyer Abreu on a fly ball hit by Toronto Blue Jays's Leo Jimenez during the fifth inning of a baseball game at Fenway Park, Monday, Aug. 26, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Toronto Blue Jays' Davis Schneider, right, steals second as Boston Red Sox shortstop Ceddanne Rafaela fields the throw during the second inning of a baseball game at Fenway Park, Monday, Aug. 26, 2024, in Boston. At rear is umpire Brennan Miller. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Boston Red Sox catcher Danny Jansen, left, tries to throw out a runner on a steal attempt as Toronto Blue Jays Daulton Varsho, who pinch-hit for Jansen, strikes out during the resumption of the second inning of a baseball game which was delayed due to rain in June, against the Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway Park, Monday, Aug. 26, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Toronto Blue Jays' Daulton Varsho dashes down the first base line on his single during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park, Monday, Aug. 26, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Boston Red Sox catcher Danny Jansen, right, gets a pat on the back from Toronto Blue Jays Daulton Varsho, who pinch-hit for Jansen, during the resumption of the second inning of a baseball game which was delayed due to rain in June, against the Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway Park, Monday, Aug. 26, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia's central bank hiked interest rates to their highest since the Kremlin sent troops into Ukraine more than 2 1/2 years ago, a step aimed at combatting the inflation fuelled by massive government outlays for the military — and by robust spending from Russian consumers in shops.

The bank raised its key rate to 19%, just below the level from late February 2022. Then the policy rate reached an unprecedented 20% in a desperate bid by the bank to shore up the ruble and ward off a financial collapse amid sanctions imposed by Western governments.

Today's situation is different: inflation is a sign of an economy overheating from government outlays and consumer demand that are outpacing the economy's capacity to produce goods and services.

Muscovites shopping Thursday on Bolshaya Dorogomilovskaya Street in western Moscow were well aware of the pace of price increases.

“I wish wages would grow as much as prices in stores," said Natalya, who like others declined to give a last name. "Everything is expensive. Eggs, bread, flour, sugar, salt, everything is expensive.”

Andrei said that “half of the salary goes on food alone. And if you take into account that 70 percent of ordinary people have a mortgage and large consumer loans in the form of car loans and so on, so the people, one could say, are starving.”

“What to do?" said Irina. "I do not know what to do, it is not my business to decide what to do. They need to stop the prices increase and, perhaps, stop some political actions that entail inflation.”

Factories are running at full speed to produce goods including clothing and vehicles for the military. As a result, many workers are seeing rising pay and consumer demand has been robust, adding more fuel to the inflation fire.

Despite sanctions and shoppers disgruntled over their grocery bills, Russia's economy remains in solid shape in many ways. The economy grew 4.4% in the second quarter. The ruble has been stable recently, after losing some 40% of its value against the dollar and the euro since 2022. Government finances, boosted by oil exports, are in good shape despite increased spending, with modest deficits easily covered by borrowing from Russian banks.

Over the longer term, inflation, loss of foreign markets and foreign investments because of sanctions can mean lower growth and income.

And there's a risk that high borrowing costs will hurt Russian companies and growth in the coming months.

Central bank head Elvira Nabiullina said however that more rate hikes could be forthcoming to return inflation from the current 9.1% to the bank's target of 4% in 2025.

“We feel this is achievable next year and we are pursuing the policy to make that happen,” Nabiullina said at a news conference following the rate decision. “We are ready to maintain tight monetary conditions for as long as needed, we are also ready to raise the key rate further.”

She cited the corrosive effects of too-high inflation, including the erosion of people's savings, high borrowing rates on longer-term loans and mortgages, and the risk of inflationary expectations becoming entrenched in wages and prices.

Higher interest rates make it more expensive to borrow and spend on goods, in theory relieving pressure on prices. Higher interest on savings can also convince people to set their disposable income aside rather than splurge. So far the central bank has been fighting a losing battle, and economists say that at some point tight credit may slow growth.

Rising wages and a strong jobs market have helped shoppers compensate for inflation and as a result “consumer activity remains high,” the central bank said.

“The reason they have raised the rate is because they want to cool what is a very fast growing consumer market," said Chris Weafer, CEO at Macro-Advisory Ltd. consultancy. "And their fear is that unless they can slow down the consumer market, then that will lead to a bubble which will then burst and leave the economy in a much worse situation."

Government revenues are supported by economic growth and by continuing exports of oil and gas with less than airtight sanctions and a $60 price cap imposed by Western governments on Russian oil. The cap is enforced by barring Western insurers and shippers from handling oil priced over the cap. But Russia has been able to evade the price cap by lining up its own fleet of tankers without Western insurance and earned some $17 billion in oil revenues in July.

FILE - People walk past a currency exchange office with an army recruiting billboard calling for a contract for service in the Russian armed forces in Moscow, Russia,on Aug. 14, 2023. (AP Photo, File)

FILE - People buy fruits at a hypermarket in Moscow, Russia, on Nov. 3, 2023. (AP Photo, File)