Digging themselves out from an early 3-0 hole, the Red Sox hammered three homers and 12 hits to snap a two-game losing streak by pounding the Toronto Blue Jays, 10-7.
The Sox got solo homers from Hanley Ramirez (in the third) and Mitch Moreland (in the seventh), but the big blow was a three-run blast over everything in left by Xander Bogaerts that keyed a five-run third.
The win reduced the magic number to clinch the division for the Red Sox to two with four games remaining.
After a run-scoring double from Justin Smoak and a two-run homer by Jose Bautista put the Jays up 3-0 after just four batters against starter Rick Porcello, the Sox began chipping away. They got a run back in the bottom of the inning on a run-scoring Wall double from Ramirez, then surged ahead with three more in the second.
Porcello pitched 5.2 innings allowing five runs for his 11th win. David Price and Addison Reed combined to get seven outs before Brandon Workman allowed two runs in the ninth inning.
GAME NO.: 158
WHO: Red Sox (91-66) vs Toronto Blue Jays (75-83)
WHEN: 7:10
WHERE: Fenway Park
RADIO: WEEI (93.7 FM)
TV: NESN
PITCHERS: RHP Rick Porcello (10-017, 4.55) vs. RHP Marco Estrada (10-8, 4.70)
BOX SCORE: MLB Gameday
IN-GAME OBSERVATIONS:
- After a couple of nights in which they fell behind early and couldn't catch up, the Red Sox offense awoke tonight, pointing out 11 hits and five runs in the first five innings tonight. Lo and behold, the home run ball was their weapon of choice. The Sox got a solo homer from Hanley Ramirez in the third, and later in the same inning. a colossal three-run shot from Xander Bogaerts. It's precisely games like this when the Sox need the home run to dig themselves out of an early hole. The homer has returned to their arsenal of late: the Sox have homered in seven straight and in 17 of their last 19 games.
- Rick Porcello got himself through five innings with the lead intact tonight, which is more than could be said of his last outing in Cincinnati when he was lifted as four innings. Porcello put the Sox in a 3-0 hole in the top of the first, and after the Sox rallied to go ahead 4-3 with one in the first and three more in the third, he allowed a two-out, solo homer to No. 9 hitter Darwin Barney. Those two homers give him 38 allowed this season, tops in the A.L. He hasn't forfeited his spot in the post-season rotation, but he hasn't improved his standing, either, with the way he's pitched in his last three starts: tonight marks the third time in five September starts that he's given up four or more runs.
- In a bit of a surprise, David Price entered the game tonight with two out in the sixth inning. That seemed to contradict John Farrell's stated premise that he would only use Price at the start of innings. He didn't inherit any baserunners, but he did come in with two out to face lefty Ryan Goins. The more adaptable and versatile Price shows himself to be with the experiment, the better he and the Red Sox will be.