After Ramirez walked to start the second inning, Estrada retired 19 straight, before Young jumped on a first-pitch cut fastball in the eighth.
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But Estrada was magnificent on a cool, dreary afternoon at Fenway Park, guiding the Jays to a 5-4 victory over Boston, owners of the American League’s most explosive offence. Chris Young broke up the no hitter with a solo home run to the Monster and then the Sox bats made a rally in the 9th, but came up just short.
Estrada continued his dominance from there, retiring the side in order in the sixth and seventh innings before working around Young’s homer to set down Red Sox catcher Christian Vazquez and right fielder Mookie Betts to end the eighth inning with a four-run lead intact. The Jays barely hung on for the win.
The first and only no-hitter for a Toronto pitcher was thrown by Dave Stieb against the Cleveland Indians in 1990. On Saturday, he lasted 5 2/3 innings, yielding six earned runs and nine hits, walking a season-high five batters.
In consecutive starts past year he took no-hitters into the eighth inning, first against the Orioles on June 19 then against the Rays on June 24.
Estrada actually started the game on a shaky note. Edwin Encarnacion had a two run homerun in the third inning and Jose Bautista had a lead-off home run to get the game started in the first inning. Heath Hembree came out to finish off the 6th inning and got the much needed 3rd out.
– The long ball was Rodriguez’s downfall in a odd outing for the 23-year-old left-hander.
Bautista led off the game against Boston starter Eduardo Rodriquez with his home run. Bautista has reached base safely in 23 straight games at Fenway Park.
The Red Sox were held hitless for five or more innings for the third time in four games against Toronto.
– The Red Sox almost came back from the dead in the ninth inning, plating three runs on five hits and putting the tying run on second base with two outs.
– Boston actually threatened Estrada in the first inning when he walked the first two batters he faced. Martin’s knocked Rodriguez out of the game with his blast in the sixth.
Infielder Matt Dominguez, recalled from their Triple-A Buffalo, started the game at third base.
Blue Jays: AL MVP Josh Donaldson was back in the lineup as the DH after missing Saturday’s game with a jammed right thumb.
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Rodriguez also issued three walks and didn’t record a strikeout for just the second time in his Red Sox career. Right-handed reliever Ryan Tepera was optioned to the Bisons.
