Gausman spins gem as Blue Jays edge Red Sox to win series against division rival

When Toronto right-hander Kevin Gausman comes to Fenway Park, he knows how well he's pitching by the playlist.

"If you're still in the game when they're singing 'Sweet Caroline' in the eighth inning, you've done something right," Gausman said after taking a shutout into the ninth to beat the Boston Red Sox 3-2 on Thursday in Boston.

"That's what I remember about the last time that I pitched really well here," said Gausman, who spent the first six and a half seasons of his career in the AL East in Baltimore. "It was being out there while they're playing that song."

In a season when Clayton Kershaw was pulled from a perfect game because of a pitch count — and Japanese League pitcher Roki Sasaki was taken out of what could have been his second straight perfect game — Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo said he was happy to let Gausman go for his first career shutout.

"I gave him a chance, hitter by hitter. If he would have gotten the first guy, then he would have gotten [to pitch to] the next guy," Montoyo said. "Everybody knew that that was our game plan. We were going to give him a chance to finish it. But then it's not going to be fair to bring Romano on with two on."

Gausman allowed seven hits in all — all singles — and allowed only one runner to reach second base. After Story singled to lead off the ninth, Romano walked Rafael Devers and gave up an RBI double to Xander Bogaerts.

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