Another pleasant stroll down Blue Jay Way for the Red Sox was interrupted by some Toronto long ball action and Boston’s inability to get it done with runners on base. End result: a 7-3 Toronto win with some late game home run antics accounting for Boston’s runs.
In the early going, the Red Sox bats returned to Slumber City thanks to an impressive J.A. Happ, who demonstrated a Houdini-like ability to escape several jams on the evening.
Boston continued the July trade auditions for Jake Peavy, who went a shaky 6.1 innings in gathering another loss (1-9) and having a long ball meltdown in the sixth inning.
In the last of the third, Peavy became his own worst enemy.
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A one out walk to Anthony Gose was followed by Gose swiping second base. With two outs Melky Cabrerra shot a ball back to Peavy, who forced the issue at first with a questionable toss. Gose scored on the single and Melky got nailed at second.
Gose almost gave it back in the fourth.
A David Ortiz double and a plunk off the body armor of Jonny Gomes had something going. Shane Victorino lined a two out single to right and Ortiz scooted to third and wisely remained planted. Stephen Drew, in a rare start against a left-hander, flared a fly ball to center-field that baffled Gose, who was rescued by a sprinting catch by Cabrera.
In the sixth, the Boston LOB total continued to rise.
Mike Napoli and Gomes both singled only to have a Victorino (three hits) hit into a DP and Drew whiff. Another opportunity stopped.
In the last of the sixth, the Jays’ Jose Reyes wasted no time going deep for his eighth home run of the season. Dioner Navarro later banged out a two run shot and the Jays were up 4-0.
Happ (8-5) went six innings, allowing no runs and seven hits while issuing one walk and striking out four.
Peavy, in what might be his last Boston appearance, went 6.1 innings allowing five runs on eight hits while issuing three walks and fanning seven.
The Red Sox had a bright spot when Ortiz launched home run twenty-three in the eighth.
In the ninth, Drew provided another with his second home run of the series, a two-run blast off an ineffective Casey Janssen. A David Ross (three hits) single and a Brock Holt walk forced a two out hook for Janssen.
Brett Cecil came in to face Ortiz and two pitches later Toronto had a win.
Wednesday evening will see R.A. Dickey (7-10, 3.95) for Toronto matching up against Boston’s Clay Buchholz (5-5, 5.46).