The Sports Xchange
Aug 30, 2017
TORONTO -- Mitch Moreland hit a go-ahead, two-run homer as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning, Rick Porcello pitched 6 2/3 effective innings and the Boston Red Sox went on to defeat the Toronto Blue Jays 7-1 on Wednesday night.
Moreland also hit a two-run single in Boston's four-run eighth to finish the game with four RBIs as the Red Sox swept the three-game series.
Porcello (9-15) won for the fifth time in his past six decisions as he held the Blue Jays to six hits, two walks and one run. The right-hander struck out seven.
Hanley Ramirez also homered for the Red Sox (76-57), who have won seven straight games at the Rogers Centre.
Raffy Lopez homered for Toronto (61-72), who finished their homestand at 1-5 and have lost 10 of their past 12 games.
Toronto starter J.A. Happ allowed four hits, four walks and one run while striking out two in six innings.
Tom Koehler (0-2 with Toronto, 1-7 overall) replaced Happ for the seventh inning. He allowed a double to Ramirez and the 18th homer of the season to Moreland, who batted for designated hitter Chris Young, to give Boston a 3-1 lead.
Porcello retired the first two batters in the bottom of the seventh before Lopez walked and Rob Refsnyder singled. Robbie Scott replaced Porcello and retired Ezequiel Carrera on a line drive to center to end the threat.
Toronto's Tim Mayza allowed a leadoff walk to Andrew Benintendi in the eighth. Mookie Betts and Xander Boegarts followed with an RBI double each. After Rafael Devers walked, Aaron Loup replaced Mayza. A double steal was followed by Moreland's one-out, two-run single.
Boston's Joe Kelly pitched a perfect bottom of the eighth and ninth.
Lopez hit his second homer of the season, and his career, to lead off the third inning and give Toronto a 1-0 lead.
The Blue Jays loaded the bases in the fourth on one-out singles by Kendrys Morales, Kevin Pillar and Ryan Goins. The Blue Jays failed to score, however, when Darwin Barney lined out to Porcello and Lopez struck out.
Ramirez tied the game for Boston when he led off the fifth with his 21st home run of the season. It ended a string of 39 2/3 innings in which Happ had not allowed a home run.
NOTES: Toronto 1B Justin Smoak (calf) sat out, and 3B Josh Donaldson also did not play, just to give him a day off. ... Boston INF Josh Rutledge (hip) had arthroscopic surgery on his left hip and is expected to be ready for the 2018 season. ... Red Sox LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (4-4, 4.19 ERA) will start Thursday against Yankees LHP CC Sabathia (10-5, 3.82) in the opener of a four-game series in New York. ... Blue Jays RHP Marco Estrada (6-8, 5.04) will face Orioles RHP Jeremy Hellickson (8-7, 4.88) Thursday in the opener of a four-game series at Baltimore.