TORONTO -- With help from their hosts, the Red Sox walloped the Toronto Blue Jays 7-1 Wednesday night, completing a sweep of their three-game series and re-establishing the same 5.5 game lead over the Yankees that the Sox owned when they last left New York two and a half weeks ago.
Tied 1-1 after six innings, the Sox erupted for two runs in the seventh and four more in the eighth, taking advantage of a suspect Toronto bullpen and some inept play in the field. Mitch Moreland hammered a pinch-hit two-run homer in the seventh to put the Sox ahead for good in the seventh.
In the eighth, the Sox turned two walks, a botched rundown by the Jays on a double-steal attempt and run-scoring doubles from Mookie Betts and Xander Bogaerts to put the game away. Boston is 10-3 in 13 games with the Jays this season.
Rick Porcello gave the Sox 6.2 strong innings, yielding just a single run on six hits to pick up his fifth win in his last six starts.
Hanley Ramirez homered for the second time in as many games for the first Red Sox run. A solo homer by Raffy Lopez to lead off the third was the lone run for Toronto.
GAME NO.: 133
WHO: Red Sox (75-57) vs Toronto Blue Jays (61-71)
WHEN: 7:07 p.m.
WHERE: Rogers Centre
TV: NESN
RADIO: WEEI (93.7 FM)
PITCHERS: Rick Porcello (8-15, 4.57) vs. J.A. Happ (6-10, 4.10)
BOX SCORE: MLB Gameday
IN-GAME OBSERVATIONS:
- Wonder if Hanley Ramirez has been at all motivated by being dropped in the lineup? For the last three games, he's hit seventh in the batting order, his lowest spot all season. And yet, in each of the last two nights, he's hit monster homers. On Tuesday, he drove out a pitch to straightaway center, over 400 feet. Tonight, he rocketed one into the second deck in left. Tough to know what drives Hanley, but perhaps this demotion has gotten his attention.
- This is the most explosive Rick Porcello has looked in a while. He's got seven strikeouts through five innings; the last time he had more strikeouts in a start was back on June 23, when he had eight. Give credit, too, to Porcello for working out a tough bases-loaded jam in the fourth. He did a nice job stabbing a comebacking liner for the second out, then overpowered Raffy Lopez -- who had homered off him the first time -- with a strikeout to strand three
- Help -- in the form of some healthy bodies -- is on the way for the Red Sox. The team expects to activate Dustin Pedroia (knee) and Matt Barnes (back) Friday and Jackie Bradley Jr. (thumb) on Saturday. Meanwhile, Carson Smith could be activated when the Sox return to Fenway early next week. Pedroia ran the bases at full speed Wednesday afternoon and came out of the drills fine. Barnes appeared in a game for Double A Portland Tuesday night. Bradley has made great progress this week and should be ready to go Saturday, when he's first eligible. Smith will finish out the Pawtucket season which ends Monday, then likely join the big league club.
- David Price threw 20 fastballs off a mound Wednesday afternoon. It was his first time throwing off a mound since he was placed on the DL July 25. "We'll re-assess where he's at (Thursday) to determine the next steps,'' said John Farrell. "We're not talking about game speed by any means, but (it was) a progressive step.''
- The Red Sox will likely add three players Friday as rosters expand, with a couple more Sunday and one or two after Monday. They have to wait on some players - like Deven Marrero, who was recently optioned back and must spend 10 days in the minors before being recalled. Catcher Blake Swihart, infielder Tzu-Wei Lin and perhaps Sam Travis are all possibilities for Friday, along with pitcher Ben Taylor.
- Thursday at midnight is the deadline for players to be in an organization to be eligible for the post-season, but president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said he didn't anticipate making any further moves.
- With Addison Reed and Craig Kimbrel both unavailable -- each has pitched the last three days -- Farrell said the Sox would likely go with a "closer by committee'' tonight.