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Estrada struggles as slumping Blue Jays lose 13-3 to Red Sox

“Just a model of consistency”, Red Sox manager John Farrell said.

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Coming into 2016, both the Giants and Blue Jays had “Great Expectations” (ironically, this is the title of yet another classic Dickens’ novel).

Marco Estrada, who allowed four runs (three earned) in 2 1/3 innings in his shortest start of the season, needed all the defensive help he could get and got none.

Rick Porcello pitched seven innings to become the first 20-game victor in the majors, Hanley Ramirez hit a three-run homer and the Boston Red Sox increased their AL East lead to two games by routing Toronto 13-3 on Friday night. After retiring Troy Tulowitzki, Rodriguez left a fastball middle in that was deposited into the left field stands by Melvin Upton Jr for the early 2-0 lead.

“I just wasn’t locating pitches, just one of those days I guess”, Estrada said. Hanley came in to score to cut the Jays lead to one, 3-2. The Northwestern product is 1-1 with a 5.91 ERA over his last four trips to the mound after going 16-3 with a 2.96 mark in his first 23 turns.

Red Sox: LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (2-6, 4.83) has a 2.73 ERA in nine starts since the All-Star break.

“Obviously, if I could do it again I probably wouldn’t go”, Travis said. “When your starting pitcher is out there making a bunch of pitches like that, it brings everybody down”. “We had better energy than we’ve had in a while today”. The Royals, who are in the hunt for the American League’s second wild-card spot, lost for the sixth time in their last nine games.

Porcello, meanwhile, was effective at mixing speeds and keeping the Blue Jays off balance.

Happ kept the Sox hotless until the fifth and allowed two runs on just four hits in six-plus innings to record his 18th win of the season. “I’m definitely very proud of that”. At the same time it’s collective.

While no player would go into any particular detail about who put it together or what was said during the private session – it’s players-only for a reason, after all – in a pre-game interview with Sportsnet’s Hazel Mae, Jose Bautista said the gathering was used as a chance to “refocus”. “So it’s thanks to 25 guys – or 40 now”. Micallef and Seixeiro have shown nothing but complete respect and admiration for Ortiz over the years, including this season, so Red Sox Nation should be able to see their point.

Christian Friedrich shut out his former teammates on two hits for seven innings to lead San Diego over Colorado at Petco Park. “We’re too good for it not to”. “You can’t hang your head”, he said.

Martin made a daring play in the fifth inning, jumping into the Red Sox dugout trying to catch a foul ball from Hill.

Cleveland maintains its six-game cushion over second-place Detroit, which beat Baltimore 4-1 on Friday.

There still are two games left in the teams’ crucial three-game series, though, and the Blue Jays apparently took steps Saturday morning to ensure they wouldn’t repeat Friday’s lackluster effort. Swimmer Penny Oleksiak, who won four medals at the Rio Olympics, threw out the ceremonial first pitch.

Atlanta ended New York’s winning streak at six games in dramatic fashion, with Adonis Garcia singling with two outs in the 10th inning to drive in rookie Dansby Swanson for a walk-off victory.

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Left-hander Rich Hill was removed after pitching seven ideal innings as Los Angeles held Miami to two hits. The team also made a donation of $10,000 to the David Ortiz Children’s Fund. Bogaerts hit a solo home run to start the inning, Ramirez then hit a 3 run homer and then Pedroia finished off the scoring in the inning with a 2 run RBI single. Toronto and Boston will close out the regular season with a three-game series at Fenway Park starting September 30.

New York Yankees&#39 Jacoby Ellsbury celebrates after a two-run homer