The Boston Red Sox won their first series of 2016 with an 8-4 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on Saturday afternoon.
Sox starter Rick Porcello earned his first win of the campaign. He gave up four runs over six innings, but he was picked up by a red-hot Boston offense that’s averaging more than seven runs scored per game this season.
Here’s a recap of Boston’s second consecutive win in Toronto.
GAME IN A WORD
Complete.
Saturday’s win was a complete team effort for the Red Sox, particularly at the plate. Eight of nine starters had at least one hit.
IT WAS OVER WHEN…
The Red Sox scored three times in the fifth inning to break a 4-4 tie. Given Toronto’s struggles late in games this season — just two runs from innings six through nine in six games — that was all the offense Boston needed.
ON THE BUMP
— Rick Porcello gave up three consecutive hits in the first inning, one of which was a Jose Bautista two-run homer that scored Josh Donaldson. He was able to limit the damage to two runs and escape the inning on 26 pitches.
Porcello settled down in the second frame. A throwing error by Pablo Sandoval allowed one baserunner to reach, but Porcello ended the inning with back-to-back strikeouts.
Bautista belted another two-run homer off Porcello in the third inning, his third career home run off the Sox starter. Toronto took a 4-3 lead as a result. Porcello rebounded to retire the side in order in the fourth, his first 1-2-3 inning.
Porcello allowed just two hits and zero runs over his final three innings and departed after the sixth. His final line: seven hits, four earned runs, one walk and seven strikeouts over six innings.
— Koji Uehara made his second appearance of the series in the seventh inning. He retired the side in order and struck out one batter.
— Robbie Ross Jr. pitched the final two innings and didn’t allow a single run. He also struck out two and gave up zero hits.
IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— Rusney Castillo picked up his first hit of the season with a single in the third inning. He later scored Boston’s first run on a Dustin Pedroia groundout. Castillo also doubled in the fourth inning, but he was stranded at third.
— Xander Bogaerts hit a ground-rule RBI double to tie the game 2-2 in the third inning. He went 1 for 4 with an RBI, a walk and two runs scored. He’s scored five runs in two games versus Toronto.
— Travis Shaw continued to swing a hot bat with an RBI double in the third inning.
— Blake Swihart picked up an RBI on a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning that knotted the score 4-4. He also singled in the eighth and scored a run.
— Pedroia collected three hits, including an RBI double in the sixth inning that scored Boston’s eighth run. He finished 3 for 5 with two RBIs and a run scored.
— Hanley Ramirez hit a two-RBI triple in the fifth inning. It appeared to be a single, but the ball took a crazy bounce over Bautista in right field and rolled to the wall, allowing Ramirez to take two extra bases. Pedroia and Bogaerts scored on the play.
— Brock Holt hit a double and scored a run. He finished 1 for 4 with two strikeouts.
TWEET OF THE DAY
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UP NEXT
The Red Sox and Blue Jays finish their weekend series Sunday at 1:07 p.m. ET on NESN. Steven Wright (Boston) versus Marco Estrada (Toronto) is the expected pitching matchup.
Thumbnail photo via Dan Hamilton/USA TODAY Sports Images
