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Red Sox-Blue Jays Preview

Jul 10, 2010 - 3:53 AM By MATT BROWN STATS Editor

Boston (49-36) at Toronto (43-43), 1:07 p.m. EDT

The Boston Red Sox didn't need to return home to end their losing streak. A trip north of the border served them just as well.

The Red Sox seek their eighth consecutive win in Toronto on Saturday when they continue their weekend series against the Blue Jays.

Boston (50-36) has won seven straight games at Rogers Centre - four of them in 2010, including a pair of spectacular offensive performances. The Red Sox beat the Blue Jays 13-12 on April 26, an offensive output that was tied for their best this season until Friday's series opener.

Boston arrived in Toronto having scored 12 runs during a four-game losing streak. The Red Sox exceeded that total in the first four innings Friday, jumping to a 13-0 lead en route to a 14-3 victory.

"They kicked our butts again," Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston said. "That was probably one of the worst games we've had all year."

Bill Hall had three hits, four RBIs, and one of Boston's four homers along with Kevin Youkilis, Adrian Beltre, and Mike Cameron.

"We kept getting big hits and bigger hits and bigger hits," Hall said. "It's always fun when you can have a game like that."

John Lackey (9-4, 4.40 ERA) will hope to benefit from similar offensive support and give the Red Sox three 10-game winners - along with Friday's winner Jon Lester (11) and Clay Buchholz - heading into the All-Star break.

The right-hander failed to earn his 10th win Sunday against Baltimore, giving up four runs - three earned - and eight hits in 7 1-3 innings of a 6-1 defeat that started Boston's losing streak, but he displayed good command, striking out seven and walking one.

"I thought (Sunday) was the best stuff he's had all year," manager Terry Francona said.

Lackey didn't fool many Blue Jays (43-44) on May 10 at Fenway Park, yielding six runs in six innings, but got credit for a 7-6 win because Toronto starter Brandon Morrow (5-6, 4.69) was worse. Morrow, who will oppose Lackey again Saturday, set a Blue Jays record by walking five batters in one inning as the Red Sox scored four runs in the second. The right-hander yielded six runs with three hits and six walks in 1 2-3 innings.

Morrow had been pitching well recently, but he saw his string of seven starts allowing three earned runs or fewer snapped Sunday. He surrendered five runs, nine hits and one walk in six innings of a 10-inning, 7-6 loss at the New York Yankees.

Toronto failed to record a third straight win Friday, but hit multiple homers for the sixth consecutive game as John McDonald and Jose Molina went deep. The Blue Jays have 17 home runs over the last six games, increasing their major league-leading total to 132. Boston ranks second with 116.