Mookie Betts rips two home runs Wednesday night to lift the Boston Red Sox over the Toronto Blue Jays 4-3 in the second game of their three-game series at Rogers Centre. TSN Baseball Reporter Scott Mitchell provides his key takeaways from the game:

GAME 23, APRIL 25: RED SOX AT JAYS

RESULT: 4-3 loss

RECORD: 14-9

STREAK: L1

1—Aaron Sanchez continues to get good results and give his team a chance to win, but it’s also clear he’s just scratching the surface of what he could become. Glimpses of a dominant ace show up from time to time, but there are also moments he looks like a 25-year-old who’s still mastering his trade and had almost a full season written off due to blisters. Sanchez allowed a leadoff home run to Mookie Betts on the third pitch of the game, before settling down and giving up just one more run in his six innings of work. On 96 pitches, Sanchez got 17 swinging strikes. He allowed just three hits, walked two, and struck out a season-high eight batters to drop his ERA from 3.86 to 3.69. Sanchez is scheduled to take the ball again next Monday in Minnesota, the first game of an eight-game road trip.

2—Coming into the night, Betts owned a career slash line of .303/.370/.488 with seven home runs against the Blue Jays. He did nothing but pump those numbers Wednesday, doing to reliever Danny Barnes what he did to Sanchez, greeting him with a two-run homer in the seventh inning, and it stood up as the difference. That broke Barnes’ streak of 11 scoreless appearances.

3—After sitting out Tuesday’s series opener, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. made his debut in front of the home crowd Wednesday, and he didn’t disappoint. In the fifth inning, he punched one up the middle and beat out second baseman Eduardo Nunez’s wide throw to first. He proceeded to steal second, and then score on a Steve Pearce liner to left field to tie the game 2-2. It may not sound like the most dazzling sequence, but it shows that a little bit of athleticism can help make something out of nothing.

4—Troy Tulowitzki is expected to begin light baseball activities later this week as he attempts to return from April 2 surgery to remove bone spurs on both heels. The 33-year-old shortstop was given the go-ahead to begin hitting off a tee, playing catch, and fielding stationary ground balls after his three-week post-operation checkup went according to plan. Tulowitzki, who is eligible to come off the 60-day disabled list May 28, is scheduled to be reevaluated again in four weeks.

5—With most eyes focused on a sheet of ice in Boston and a hardcourt a few blocks away, a crowd of 18,914 was announced at Rogers Centre. It’s not the smallest of the season. That came three weeks ago on a Monday night against the Chicago White Sox when they drew 16,629.

UP NEXT: LHP Chris Sale (1-1, 1.86) vs. RHP Marco Estrada (2-1, 5.32)​