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Blue Jays deal Red Sox 7th straight loss

May 23, 2014 - 5:04 AM Boston, MA (SportsNetwork.com) - Melky Cabrera and Jose Bautista belted back- to-back homers in the first and Mark Buehrle spun seven strong innings, as the Toronto Blue Jays completed a three-game sweep of the Boston Red Sox with a 7-2 triumph Thursday at Fenway Park.

Bautista finished 3-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored, while Jose Reyes ripped a two-run single and scored once in support of Buehrle (8-1), who fanned five and allowed just two runs on seven hits without issuing a walk to become the first pitcher in the majors to reach eight wins.

"It's nice, obviously," Buehrle said of leading MLB in wins. "I try to throw it out the window and get ready for my next start."

Edwin Encarnacion and Brett Lawrie added an RBI apiece for the Blue Jays, who have won six of their last seven games.

Xander Bogaerts smacked a solo homer and Jonny Gomes drove in a run for the Red Sox, who dropped their seventh straight tilt to wrap up a six-game homestand. Boston went winless on a homestand of at least six games for the first time since June 10-15, 1994.

Boston starter Jon Lester (4-6) was tagged for all seven runs on 10 hits over 6 1/3 innings to absorb the loss.

"It's not fun going out there giving up a bunch of hits, trying to stop the losing streak," Lester said. "The list goes on and on of things that I just flat out didn't do today."

Lester retired Reyes to open the game, but two of his next three pitches left the yard, as Cabrera clubbed a 1-0 offering over the Green Monster in left before Bautista crushed a first-pitch fastball out to left-center field.

Dustin Pedroia started the home half with a double and scored three batters later on Gomes' two-out single to center to slice Boston's deficit in half.

However, Toronto tacked on five runs in the second to break the game open.

Steve Tolleson and Kevin Pillar laced back-to-back singles to open the frame before both runners advanced a base on Anthony Gose's sacrifice bunt.

Reyes then cleared the bases with a single to center, and after Cabrera walked, Bautista and Encarnacion stroked consecutive RBI singles to give the Blue Jays a 6-1 lead.

Lawrie followed with an RBI groundout to cap the second-inning outburst.

"I can deal with the first inning. I made two bad pitches," Lester added. "I have to do a better job in the second inning of minimizing damage."

Buehrle served up Bogaerts' blast to start the bottom of the second, but the veteran left-hander stifled the Red Sox from there, allowing just two runners to move into scoring position the rest of the way.

After stranding Brock Holt on third to end the second, Buehrle limited Boston to three singles before Dustin McGowan took over in the eighth and retired all six hitters he faced in order to complete the victory.

Game Notes

Buehrle, who's only loss of the season came against the BoSox on April 25, improved to 5-0 in six road starts this season ... Boston's six-game slide is its longest since ending the 2012 season with eight consecutive setbacks ... Boston finished 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position and left five men on base ... Pillar recorded three hits and scored once in the win.