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Boston stays hot with win over Toronto

Jun 11, 2011 - 6:20 AM Toronto, ON (Sports Network) - Clay Buchholz tossed seven innings of one-run baseball to help the surging Boston Red Sox take down the Toronto Blue Jays, 5-1, in the opener of a three-game series.

Buchholz (5-3) gave up just three hits for the Red Sox, who have won seven in a row. He also struck out six and walked two.

"I think (Buchholz) was crisp and he looked good," said Boston manager Terry Francona.

Adrian Gonzalez went 2-for-4 with two RBI for Boston, which was fresh off a three-game sweep of the Yankees. Jacoby Ellsbury went 3-for-5 with three runs scored.

Toronto starter Jo-Jo Reyes (2-5) allowed four runs on eight hits over 6 1/3 innings to see his two-start winning streak come to an end.

Juan Rivera knocked in the lone run for the Blue Jays, who started a six-game homestand on Friday.

"(Buchholz) was getting his curveball over for strikes early in the count, getting ahead with that," said Toronto shortstop Mike McCoy.

The Red Sox got on the board in the third. Jarrod Saltalamacchia led off with a single, moved to third on Ellsbury's ground-rule double to left and scored on Dustin Pedroia's base hit to shallow left field. Gonzalez grounded into a double play to plate another run.

Buchholz retired the first eight batters he faced before Jayson Nix reached first on Jed Lowrie's fielding error. Nix stole second prior to McCoy being struck out to end the third inning.

The Blue Jays finally got on the board in the fourth. With runners on second and third and one out, Rivera hit a sacrifice fly to center.

Boston created some distance with a two-run fifth. Ellsbury singled and Pedroia walked with one out before Gonzalez and Kevin Youkilis hit consecutive RBI singles to make it a 4-1 game.

Toronto left men on first and second in the sixth and stranded men on the corners in the seventh.

Gonzalez's RBI double in the ninth accounted for the final margin.

Game Notes

Boston leads the season series, 4-3...The Red Sox recalled pitcher Michael Bowden from Triple-A Pawtucket and optioned catcher Luis Exposito to the same club...Buchholz improved to 7-3 lifetime against the Blue Jays...Toronto was without shortstop Yunel Escobar (bruised left quadriceps)...Pedroia returned to the lineup after missing Thursday's game with a bruised right kneecap...Toronto went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position and stranded seven.