Skip to content

Blue Jays snap Red Sox 10-game win streak with wild 13-7 victory

Adam Glanzman / Getty Images Sport / Getty

BOSTON (AP) The streak had to end some time.

Rick Porcello just didn't want it to be his fault.

Justin Smoak homered and Kevin Pillar hit a two-run double as the Toronto Blue Jays chased the Boston right-hander in a five-run third inning on Friday night, beating the Red Sox 13-7 to snap their 10-game winning streak.

Pillar had four of Toronto's 14 hits and Smoak had three, including another homer in the eighth. They drove in four runs apiece.

''This one's completely on me,'' Porcello said. ''We're playing great baseball right now. Just had a 10-game winning streak. Not going to let one game ruin that.''

Dwight Smith Jr. also homered for Toronto, which won for the second time in six games. Jake Petricka (1-0) pitched two innings of shutout ball in relief of Ryan Borucki, who lasted just three-plus innings.

''That was a Fenway special,'' Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. ''Borucki got indoctrinated a little bit tonight to Fenway Park. But, you know, he hung in there.''

Mookie Betts had three hits, including two triples, to raise his major league-leading batting average to .357. J.D. Martinez had two hits for the Red Sox, who won 15 of their previous 17 games and will head into the All-Star break with the best record in baseball and the AL East lead.

''I'll take 10 in a row and a loss after that,'' Martinez said. ''I'm good if we do that the rest of the year.''

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. had two hits - and two of Toronto's four errors. Yangervis Solarte also had a pair of hits.

The Red Sox led 1-0 after one and posted five runs in the second to make it 6-3, getting a two-run triple off the Green Monster from Betts to take the lead. But Porcello (11-4) couldn't hold it, allowing Smoak's leadoff homer, Pillar's two-run double and then a two-run shot by Smith.

''We knew it was going to happen. They're going to have one of these,'' Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. ''We turn the page.''

Toronto added three in the eighth on RBI singles by Smoak and Pillar and a run-scoring double by Kendrys Morales. Smoak made it 13-7 in the eighth with his 16th homer of the season.

WHAT WINNING STREAK?

Smoak said he hadn't realized how hot the Red Sox had been.

''I didn't know they had a 10-game winning streak, sorry,'' he told reporters. ''They're a really good ballclub. So you know it's going to be a tough game every time you go out there against those guys.''

MOOKIE PARTY

Betts, who tripled in each of the first two innings, also walked once and singled. Right-hander Seunghwan Oh came on to face him with two outs in the seventh and Toronto leading 8-7; Betts lined out to third , where Solarte did a celebratory dance with Gurriel, the shortstop, before leaving the field.

BORE-YUCKY

It was 8-6 midway through the second, with both starters already giving up a five-run inning. Porcello was pulled after allowing the first five batters in the third to reach base; In all, he gave up eight runs and seven hits.

Borucki pitched to three batters in the fourth and was charged with seven runs - four earned - and eight hits. Petricka shut Boston down after coming in with runners on first and third and nobody out in the fourth.

''Huge when he came in there and got out of that,'' Gibbons said. ''Really that held it in check. That could've been the other way quick.''

TRAINER'S ROOM

Blue Jays: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (knee) played his first game since June 6, with Double-A New Hampshire. He went 1 for 3 with a walk as the DH for the Gulf Coast League Blue Jays against the GCL Phillies.

Red Sox: OF Andrew Benintendi went on the bereavement list because of a death in the family. He is expected to rejoin the team after the All-Star break. Sam Travis was called up from Triple-A Pawtucket and started at designated hitter. ... LHP Drew Pomeranz threw 78 pitches on a rehab appearance in Triple-A. He allowed three runs and four in 3 2/3 innings.

UP NEXT

Blue Jays: RHP Sam Gaviglio (2-3) goes for his first win since May when the series resumes on Saturday afternoon.

Red Sox: LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (11-3) tries to keep the Red Sox from losing two in a row.

---

AP freelance reporter Mark Didtler contributed to this story from Tampa, Florida.

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox