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Red Sox rally to beat Blue Jays in 9th

Apr 10, 2012 - 6:21 AM Toronto, ON (Sports Network) - Ryan Sweeney drove in the go-ahead run in the ninth inning on a single as Boston rallied for a 4-2 win over Toronto in the opener of a three-game set.

Dustin Pedroia hit a solo home run and scored twice while David Ortiz added two hits for the Red Sox, who got their first win under new manager Bobby Valentine after dropping all three games in Detroit to start the season.

"Great effort by a whole group of guys out there tonight and they're trying their butts off to get that first win and we got it," Valentine said.

Felix Doubront lasted five innings and gave up two runs on four hits with three walks and six strikeouts. Scott Atchison (1-0) pitched three scoreless innings to pick up the win.

Kelly Johnson and Edwin Encarnacion both drove in a run for the Blue Jays, who took two of three from Cleveland to begin the season. Henderson Alvarez was strong in the start, giving up one run on four hits over six innings. Sergio Santos (0-1) was tagged with the loss.

Pedroia started the rally with a double and went to third on a passed ball. Adrian Gonzalez followed with a sac fly to left to tie the game. After Kevin Youkilis struck out, Ortiz and Cody Ross worked consecutive walks with Darnell McDonald coming on to run for Ortiz.

Sweeney then singled to right and Jose Bautista fielded it cleanly, but he two-hopped the throw to the play and Arencibia couldn't field it, allowing McDonald to score. Ross then scored on a wild pitch for an insurance run.

Alfredo Aceves set the Jays down in order in the ninth for his first save of the season.

"It wasn't just one bad pitch it was a bunch of bad pitches," said Santos. "It's tough because I feel like I let the rest of the guys down. Against a team like Boston, you don't want to be giving them any chances."

The third inning saw the Blue Jays push two across for the lead. With one out, Colby Rasmus tripled and Yunel Escobar followed with a walk. Johnson then hit a slow roller to the first base side of the mound that Doubront fielded and went home, but Rasmus slid around the tag. Encarnacion later hit a single to left to score Escobar for a 2-0 lead.

Boston threatened in the fifth when Ross hit a single and Sweeney followed with a ground rule double with one out, but Jarrod Saltalamacchia grounded out to first and Mike Aviles grounded to third to end the frame.

Pedroia, though, got the Red Sox on the board in the sixth with a one-out, solo shot to left.

Game Notes

Boston won 10 of 18 against Toronto last season...Toronto had just five hits in the game and left six men on base.