Bowden Francis takes no-hitter into the sixth inning as Blue Jays shut out Red Sox

We are running out of descriptors, so suffice it to say that we are currently living in Bowden Francis’s world.
The 28-year-old right-hander shut down the Boston Red Sox on just one hit over seven innings Thursday, leading the Blue Jays to a 2-0 win at Fenway Park. It was the third time in his last four starts that Francis pitched at least seven innings and allowed only one hit.
In the other one of those four starts, Francis allowed three hits in seven shutout innings against the Chicago Cubs.
Francis, who took a no-hit bid into the ninth inning in his last start against the Angels on Saturday, retired the first nine Red Sox hitters he faced Thursday before Jarren Duran reached on a throwing error by second baseman Leo Jimenez.
Duran was thrown out trying to steal second and Francis set down the next six hitters before Nick Sogard’s soft liner fell in front of a charging Joey Loperfido in left field for Boston’s first hit in the sixth inning.
Francis joined Dave Stieb as the only Jays pitchers to allow just one hit while throwing at least seven innings three times in a span of four starts. Each of Stieb’s were complete games, including his last two starts of 1988 in which he didn’t allow a hit until there were two out in the ninth.
By the time Boston’s first hit dropped, the Jays already had their two runs.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. opened the scoring with a two-out RBI double in the third inning and back to back two-out doubles by Addison Barger and Ernie Clement in the sixth provided some insurance.
Francis picked up his fourth straight win. Over those four starts, the Floridian has allowed two runs and six hits in 29 innings, with three walks and 32 strikeouts. Opponents have hit just .065 against him.
Loperfido left the game after hitting his head on the Green Monster while backing up to make a catch that ended the seventh inning.