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Blue Jays rally in 8th to beat Red Sox 4-3 on Patriots' Day

Apr 18, 2016 - 7:35 PM BOSTON (AP) Toronto manager John Gibbons knew Boston had its bullpen lined up.

It didn't matter when the Red Sox couldn't throw a key strike.

Russell Martin hit a two-run single against Craig Kimbrel to cap a four-run eighth inning, and the Blue Jays held to beat the Red Sox 4-3 Monday in Boston's annual Patriots' Day game.

''When you're facing (Koji) Uehara and those guys at the end, it's tough to do,'' Gibbons said. ''You see the end result. It was big.''

J.A. Happ (2-0) gave up one run and four hits in seven-plus innings. Drew Storen got three outs for his first save despite giving up two runs. Toronto gained a split of the four-game series by winning the last two.

''That was a huge inning for us against a tough pitcher,'' Happ said of the eighth. ''They brought Kimbrel in there, and we had some great at-bats - even before that with Uehara. It was a fun win.''

Boston's Clay Buchholz allowed six hits in 6 2/3 shutout innings, helped by four double plays by his infield and a diving catch by center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. Josh Rutledge and Travis Shaw had RBI doubles for the Red Sox.

With Toronto trailing 1-0 in the eighth, Ezequiel Carrera reached second base against Uehara (0-1) after Rutledge's throwing error on his infield hit to third. He advanced on Christian Vazquez's passed ball and scored on Michael Saunders' groundout.

Uehara was charged with four runs and gave up two walks while getting just one out. Kimbrel also gave up a walk.

''It's probably just early morning,'' Uehara said through a translator. ''It's just my body was not awake. I'll do my best tomorrow.''

Kimbrel entered with one out and the bases loaded and struck out Edwin Encarnacion. He walked Troy Tulowitzki on a 3-2 pitch, forcing in the go-ahead run, and Martin singled.

''It's definitely not a situation I'm accustomed to,'' Kimbrel said. ''I'm asked to come in and get two outs and leave it where it was. I was able to get the first one to give us a chance, got ahead on Tulowitzki and walked him. That really wasn't what we had written up.''

Shaw scored in the ninth on Hanley Ramirez's two-out, RBI single, and Storen struck out pinch-hitter David Ortiz, who took a 93 mph sinker with a 2-2 count for a called third strike.

With the crowd filing into Fenway Park a couple hours after the morning commute ended and helicopters flying above to track the 120th Boston Marathon, Buchholz threw the first pitch at 11:07 a.m. EDT on a warm morning under bright, sunny skies.

Boston took a 1-0 lead in the second on Rutledge's double into the right-center gap.

Ortiz arrived at the park just after 8:30 a.m., came across Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista, and the two chatted briefly at the Red Sox players' parking lot.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Blue Jays: 1B Chris Colabello said ''my head's completely fine'' before the game after getting beaned in Sunday's win. ''I was never woozy.''

Red Sox: Benched 3B Pablo Sandoval, on the 15-day DL with a strained left shoulder, went to see orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews for a second opinion. Manager John Farrell said after ''There was an injection to calm the inflammation. At this point he'll be examined by Dr. Andrews in a couple weeks.''. Ortiz didn't start against the left-hander.

THAT LOOKS DIFFERENT

The Red Sox faced their first lefty starter this season.

It's the furthest into a season since 1996, when they went against a lefty in the 13th game.

REMOVED THE DH

Gibbons sent starting DH Bautista into game in right in the eighth. LHP Brett Cecil was inserted in the lineup, but pinch hit for by Colabello in the ninth.

UP NEXT

Blue Jays: RHP Marcus Stroman (2-0, 4.22 ERA) is scheduled to start against RHP Mike Wright (1-0, 7.20) when Toronto opens a three-game series at Baltimore on Tuesday. Stroman allowed two runs in eight innings to beat the Yankees last week.

Red Sox: RHP Joe Kelly (1-0, 10.13) is set to face LHP Drew Smyly (0-2, 4.61) Tuesday when the Rays come to Fenway for the opener of a three-game set.