It was Toronto’s 23rd home game of the season. Bautista also looked comfortable playing first base for the first time since 2014.
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With the Red Sox ahead 3-2 heading into the eighth, it seemed as if another bullpen meltdown could be on the menu when Heath Hembree allowed a game-tying solo homer to Toronto’s Edwin Encarnacion to lead off the inning. Hendricks gave up just one run on five hits in a complete game.
Jose Bautista went deep against former teammate and friend David Price in Sunday’s eventual loss to the Red Sox.
“I was pretty bad today and it’s unacceptable for the amount of runs that we got and the way our offence played all around”.
The Red Sox ace responded by breezing through the next three frames, one base hit in the second inning and another in the fourth. He again struggled to find the strike zone against Jackie Bradley Jr., and one more walk later it was 3-2.
“I pitched just well enough that we had a shot”, Dickey said.
The Jays have now notched runs against two of baseball’s top closers – Kimbrel and the Yankees’ Aroldis Chapman – in the last three games. “He threw me some tough pitches, I fought them off, then got a fastball up and was able to get it out there”. Ryan Goins and Darwin Barney are expected to split time at shortstop until the veteran returns.
When his name was announced as part of the Boston Red Sox’s starting lineup, David Price was cheered lightly by the sold-out Rogers Centre crowd on Sunday afternoon.
“He handled it very well”, Red Sox manager John Farrell said.
In the 11th, Blake Swihart and Mookie Betts both reached base on walks issued by Jays reliever Gavin Floyd.
Drew Storen came on to face Pedroia, who hit a ground-rule double to right-center. Pedroia went 2 for 6 with two RBIs.
Removed from Boston’s rotation Friday after losing his previous two starts, Buchholz (3-5) worked one inning for the win in his first relief appearance since August 17, 2008.
On his 28th birthday, usually reliable Boston Red Sox closer Craig Kimbrel was perfectly positioned to kick off the celebrations with his first win of the season on Saturday. “We’ll talk about that.there’s a good chance something’s got to happen I would think”.
It was the 14th loss of the season for the Blue Jays’ bullpen, matching Atlanta and Cincinnati for most in the majors.
Marcus Stroman tied his shortest outing of the season, also against Boston, surrendering seven runs on 11 hits while striking out five.
The 27-year-old righthander didn’t allow a run in his first four appearances with the team, but in eight appearances in May he’s allowed eight runs, five earned, in 12 innings (3.75 ERA).
“I feel like my guys always pick me up, in every circumstance”, Stroman said afterward.
Royals third baseman Cheslor Cuthbert got the Royals’ seven-run rally started in the bottom of the ninth with a one-out single.
Encarnacion’s homer was his 100th at Rogers Centre. He has already faced Boston twice this season – consecutive starts in mid-April – going 0-2 with 7.45 ERA and 2.06 WHIP. “You keep winning series throughout the year you’re going to end up where you want to at the end”. Toronto RHP Marco Estrada (2-2, 2.76 ERA) will oppose New York RHP Ivan Nova (3-2, 3.65 ERA) in the opener.
Toronto Blue Jays’ Michael Saunders (21) slides home safe past Boston Red Sox catcher Christian … Josh Rutledge was given yet another terrific opportunity to break the game open, but an easy fly out to Kevin Pillar kept the Red Sox off of the scoreboard.
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Toronto right-hander R.A. Dickey lost a no-hitter in the sixth on a one-out triple by Betts, and the Red Sox went on to score three runs in the inning.
