Houck works 5 sharp innings, Abreu reaches base 3 times as Red Sox beat Blue Jays 4-1
By IAN HARRISON Associated Press
TORONTO - Tanner Houck pitched five strong innings, Wilyer Abreu reached base three times and the Boston Red Sox extended their winning streak to three games with a 4-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday night.
The Red Sox opened their final road trip - a three-game set in Toronto - by improving to 4-0 in Canada this season.
Abreu walked and scored on Vaughn Grissom's sacrifice fly in the second, hit an RBI double in the third, and singled in the fifth, joining Jarren Duran as the only Boston players with multiple hits.
Houck (9-10) carried a perfect game into the fifth inning before walking Addison Barger with two outs. Ernie Clement followed with a single, but the 28-year-old right-hander got Jonatan Clase to fly out. Houck threw just 57 pitches, 36 strikes, in his first winning start since July 11 against Oakland.
Leo Jiménez and George Springer hit back-to-back singles off Greg Weissert to start the sixth inning for Toronto, but Nathan Lukes grounded into a double play and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. grounded out to end the threat.
Guerrero went 0 for 4 and saw his average slip to .324.
Boston left-hander Zach Penrod got two outs in the seventh and right-hander Luis Guerrero pitched 1 1/3 innings before righty Chris Martin pitched around Spencer Horwitz's RBI single in the ninth.
Blue Jays right-hander Chris Bassitt (10-14) walked a career-high seven in 4 1/3 innings, two of which came around to score. The 35-year-old right-hander was charged with three runs and four hits, losing his second consecutive start against Boston.
The crowd of 22,254 was Toronto's smallest at home this season. The Blue Jays are 38-38 at the Rogers Centre.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Red Sox: Closer and four-time All-Star Kenley Jansen will miss the rest of the season after being placed on the 15-day injured list because of a sore right shoulder.
UP NEXT
RHP Bowden Francis (8-5, 3.47 ERA) is scheduled to start Tuesday against Red Sox RHP Brayan Bello (14-8, 4.49) in the second game of the three-game series.